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Borolanite and Obsidian


Obsidian and Borolanite


Definition

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   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Granular   
Glassy   

Color
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White   
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

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   
Not Yet Used   

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
Not Yet Used   
Surgery   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Jewellery   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers   
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Not Available   
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
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

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   
Not Available   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Regional Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6   
5-5.5   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Not Applicable   

Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Greasy to Dull   
Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2   
14
0.15 N/mm2   
33

Cleavage
Poor   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.6   
2.6-2.7   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Translucent   

Density
2.6 g/cm3   
2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

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   
Not Yet Found   

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   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

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.

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