Basanite

Kenyte

Basanite and Kenyte

Basanite

Kenyte

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Definition

Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone

Kenyte is a variety of porphyritic phonolite or trachyte rock with rhomb shaped phenocrysts of anorthoclase with variable olivine and augite in a glassy matrix

History

Origin

Mount Kenya

Discoverer

Unknown

J. W. Gregory

Etymology

From Latin basanites + -ite

From the mountain ranges- Mount Kenya and is named by J. W. Gregory in 1900

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Glassy, Granular

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Glassy or Pearly

Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Whetstones

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite

Foidolite

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone

Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.

Kenyte 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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase

Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite

Compound Content

Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

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

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

75.5-6

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

White

White, Greenish White or Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Greasy to Dull

Compressive Strength

100.00 N/mm²150.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.82.6

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.7 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.74 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam

Africa

Uganda

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain

Andorra, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil

Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia

All about Basanite and Kenyte Properties

Know all about Basanite and Kenyte properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basanite and Kenyte belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Basanite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic whereas that of Kenyte is Glassy, Granular. Basanite appears Glassy or Pearly and Kenyte appears Banded and Foilated. The luster of Basanite is waxy and dull while that of Kenyte is greasy to dull. Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas Kenyte is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Basanite are as a touchstone, creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms and that of Kenyte are cemetery markers, creating artwork.