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Basanite 
Basanite 

Nepheline Syenite
Nepheline Syenite



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Basanite 
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Nepheline Syenite

Basanite  vs Nepheline Syenite

Definition

Definition

Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone
Nepheline Syenite is a holocrystalline plutonic rock resembling syenite but containing nepheline and lacking quartz

History

Origin

-
-

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

From Latin basanites + -ite
From origin of a Palaeozoic nepheline syenite from northern Shanxi Province, China

Class

Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

-
Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Granular

Color

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

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
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
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing 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

Types

Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite
Borolanite and Litchfieldite

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
Absent

Formation

Formation

Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.
Nepheline Syenites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.

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, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

75.5-6
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Less 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
Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.7 g/cm32.6 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.74 kJ/Kg K0.71 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, 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

Basanite  vs Nepheline Syenite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Basanite  and Nepheline Syenite Reserves. Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone. Nepheline Syenite is a holocrystalline plutonic rock resembling syenite but containing nepheline and lacking quartz. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Basanite  vs Nepheline Syenite information and Basanite  vs Nepheline Syenite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Basanite  vs Nepheline Syenite 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. Basanite  vs Nepheline Syenite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Basanite  and Properties of Nepheline Syenite. Learn more about Basanite  vs Nepheline Syenite in the next section. The interior uses of Basanite  include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Nepheline Syenite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Basanite  and Nepheline Syenite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Basanite  in construction industry include Arrowheads, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, Spear points and that of Nepheline Syenite include 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.

More about Basanite  and Nepheline Syenite

Here you can know more about Basanite  and Nepheline Syenite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Basanite  and Nepheline Syenite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Basanite  includes Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase and mineral content of Nepheline Syenite includes Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Basanite  vs Nepheline Syenite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Basanite  is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas, Nepheline Syenite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Basanite  is Glassy or Pearly and that of Nepheline Syenite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Basanite  vs Nepheline Syenite. The hardness of Basanite  is 7 and that of Nepheline Syenite is 5.5-6. The types of Basanite  are Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite whereas types of Nepheline Syenite are Borolanite and Litchfieldite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Basanite  and Nepheline Syenite is white. The specific heat capacity of Basanite  is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Nepheline Syenite is 0.71 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Basanite  is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Nepheline Syenite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.