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Breccia and Aplite


Aplite and Breccia


Definition

Definition
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material   
Aplite is a fine-grained granite composed mainly of feldspar and quartz   

History
  
  

Origin
England   
Iran   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break   
From German Aplit, from Greek haploos simple + -ite   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Plutonic   

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

Texture

Texture
Brecciated, Clastic   
Granular, Graphic   

Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow   
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Veined or Pebbled   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration   
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry   
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Small Sculptures, Tombstones   

Types

Types
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia   
Not Available   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch   
Available in lots of colors, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Breccia is a clastic sedimentary rock which is composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock which are cemented together by a fine-grained matrix and it forms where broken, angular fragments of rock or mineral debris accumulate.   
Aplites belong to intrusive igneous rocks which are mostly quart and alkali feldspar and are formed from residual eutectic granitic liquids and represent the final crystallization products of magma.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica   
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, 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
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
6.5   

Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Not Available   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull to Pearly   
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
130.00 N/mm2   
16

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87   
2.6   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
0 g/cm3   
2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.79 kJ/Kg K   
16

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan   
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   

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

Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela   

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand   
Not Yet Found   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Breccia and Aplite Properties

Know all about Breccia and Aplite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Breccia belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Aplite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Breccia is Brecciated, Clastic whereas that of Aplite is Granular, Graphic. Breccia appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Aplite appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Breccia is dull to pearly while that of Aplite is dull to pearly to subvitreous. Breccia and Aplite are available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Breccia are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry and that of Aplite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, small sculptures, tombstones.

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