Definition
Aplite is a fine-grained granite composed mainly of feldspar and quartz
Rhomb-porphyry is a porphyritic igneous rock with abundant wedge or lens shaped anorthoclase or feldspar phenocrysts
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German Aplit, from Greek haploos simple + -ite
From Latin term that means purple
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Graphic
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Rough
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Small Sculptures, Tombstones
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Metallurgical Flux, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Igneous rock
Igneous rock
Features
Available in lots of colors, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
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.
Rhomb-porphyry is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaO, Cl, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
2.6
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
2.6 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
-
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
-
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic
Bulgaria
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Aplite vs Rhomb 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 Rhomb Porphyry characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Aplite and Properties of Rhomb Porphyry. Learn more about Aplite vs Rhomb 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 Rhomb Porphyry include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Aplite and Rhomb Porphyry, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Aplite in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Rhomb Porphyry include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Aplite and Rhomb Porphyry
Here you can know more about Aplite and Rhomb Porphyry. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Aplite and Rhomb 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 Rhomb Porphyry includes Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Aplite vs Rhomb 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, Rhomb Porphyry is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Aplite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Rhomb Porphyry is Rough. Properties of rock is another aspect for Aplite vs Rhomb Porphyry. The hardness of Aplite is 6.5 and that of Rhomb Porphyry is 5-5.5. The types of Aplite are Igneous rock whereas types of Rhomb Porphyry are Igneous rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Aplite and Rhomb Porphyry is white. The specific heat capacity of Aplite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Rhomb Porphyry is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. 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 Rhomb Porphyry is heat resistant, pressure resistant.