Borolanite

Obsidian

Borolanite and Obsidian

Borolanite

Obsidian

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Definition

Borolanite is a variety of Nepheline Syenite and belongs to igneous rocks and contains nepheline-alkali feldspar pseudomorphs which occur as conspicuous white spots in the dark rock matrix

Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth

History

Origin

Scotland

Ethiopia

Discoverer

Unknown

Obsius

Etymology

From Alkalic Igneous complex near Loch Borralan in northwest Scotland

From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Opaque Rock

Texture

Granular

Glassy

Color

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

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Banded and Foilated

Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Surgery

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Jewellery

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers

Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums

Types

Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian

Features

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

Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Borolanites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.

When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5.5-65-5.5

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal to Uneven

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Greasy to Dull

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

150.00 N/mm²0.15 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.62.6-2.7

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Translucent

Density

2.6 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

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

Kenya

Europe

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

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

New Zealand

All about Borolanite and Obsidian Properties

Know all about Borolanite and Obsidian properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Borolanite and Obsidian belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Borolanite is Granular whereas that of Obsidian is Glassy. Borolanite appears Banded and Foilated and Obsidian appears Shiny. The luster of Borolanite is greasy to dull while that of Obsidian is vitreous. Borolanite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Borolanite are cemetery markers and that of Obsidian are creating artwork, mirror, used in aquariums.