Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
  
Granulite is fine to medium grained metamorphic rock with a granular of polygonal crystals.
  
History
  
  
Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota
  
Central Europe
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From its formation process
  
From Latin granulum, a little grain or fine grained
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Banded, Trellis
  
Granoblastic
  
Color
Red, Reddish Brown
  
Black, Brown
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
  
Veined or Pebbled
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
  
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
  
Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
  
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Soil Conditioner, Tombstones
  
Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
  
Not Available
  
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
  
Clasts are smooth to touch
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Present
  
Absent
  
Formation
The banded iron layers are formed in sea water when oxygen is released by photosynthetic cyano-bacteria. The oxygen then combines with dissolved iron in ocean to form insoluble iron oxides, which precipitated out, forming a thin layer of banded iron formation on ocean floor.
  
Granulite is a fine-grained granular metamorphic rock in which the main component minerals are feldspars and quartz and forms at high temperature and pressure conditions.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
  
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz
  
Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
5.5-6
  
6-7
  
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
  
Medium to Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
  
Not Available
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Very Less Porous
  
Luster
Earthy
  
Vitreous
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
175.00 N/mm
2
  
13
Cleavage
Imperfect
  
Imperfect
  
Toughness
1.5
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
5.0-5.3
  
2.8-3.0
  
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
Not Available
  
3.06-3.33 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
3.20 kJ/Kg K
  
1
0.14 kJ/Kg K
  
26
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
  
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
  
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
  
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
  
Not Yet Found