Definition
Aplite is a fine-grained granite composed mainly of feldspar and quartz
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German Aplit, from Greek haploos simple + -ite
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Graphic
Porphyritic
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Dull
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
Construction Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Small Sculptures, Tombstones
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Not Available
Rhomb Porphyry
Features
Available in lots of colors, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Formation
Aplites belong to intrusive igneous rocks which are mostly quart and alkali feldspar and are formed from residual eutectic granitic liquids and represent the final crystallization products of magma.
Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Not Registered
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Irregular
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous
Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Available
Imperfect
Toughness
Not Available
1.7
Specific Gravity
2.6
2.5-4
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.5-2.52 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Aplite vs Porphyry Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Aplite vs Porphyry characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Aplite and Properties of Porphyry. Learn more about Aplite vs Porphyry in the next section. The interior uses of Aplite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Aplite and Porphyry, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Aplite in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Porphyry include Construction aggregate.
More about Aplite and Porphyry
Here you can know more about Aplite and Porphyry. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Aplite and Porphyry consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Aplite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Aplite vs Porphyry, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Aplite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas, Porphyry is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, red, rust, white colors. Appearance of Aplite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Porphyry is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Aplite vs Porphyry. The hardness of Aplite is 6.5 and that of Porphyry is 6-7. The types of Aplite are Not Available whereas types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Aplite and Porphyry is white. The specific heat capacity of Aplite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Porphyry is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Aplite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Porphyry is heat resistant, impact resistant.