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Banded iron formation and Sovite


Sovite and Banded iron formation


Definition

Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age   
Sovite is a coarse-grained variety of carbonatite which belongs to intrusive igneous rock   

History
  
  

Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From its formation process   
Not Available   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Plutonic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Banded, Trellis   
Granular, Poikiloblastic   

Color
Red, Reddish Brown   
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Dull, Banded and Foilated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes   

Exterior Uses
Paving Stone, Office Buildings   
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   
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, Unknown, Unknown   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   

Types

Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite   
Not Available   

Features
Is one of the oldest rock   
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

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.   
Sovites are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz   
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite   

Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6   
3   

Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained   
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Subvitreous to Dull   

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Not Available   

Toughness
1.5   
1   

Specific Gravity
5.0-5.3   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
2.84-2.86 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
3.20 kJ/Kg K   
1
Not Available   

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam   
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan   

Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom   
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Bolivia, Brazil   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   
New South Wales, New Zealand   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Banded iron formation and Sovite Properties

Know all about Banded iron formation and Sovite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Banded iron formation belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Sovite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Banded iron formation is Banded, Trellis whereas that of Sovite is Granular, Poikiloblastic. Banded iron formation appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Sovite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Banded iron formation is earthy while that of Sovite is subvitreous to dull. Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors whereas Sovite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Banded iron formation are as a touchstone, cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Sovite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, creating artwork, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).

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