Definition
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material
  
Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth
  
History
  
  
Origin
England
  
Germany
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break
  
From diatom + -ite1
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Brecciated, Clastic
  
Clastic or Non-Clastic
  
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow
  
Grey, White, Yellow
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Non-Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
  
Soft
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
  
Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
  
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
  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Present
  
Present
  
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.
  
Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica
  
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Ca, NaCl, CaO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
7
  
1
  
Grain Size
Medium to Coarse Grained
  
Very fine-grained
  
Fracture
Uneven
  
Not Available
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Dull to Pearly
  
Dull
  
Cleavage
Non-Existent
  
Non-Existent
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
1
  
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
  
2.3-2.4
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
0 g/cm3
  
2.49-2.51 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
0.90 kJ/Kg K
  
12
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
  
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
  
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
  
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
  
Others
Greenland
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Brazil
  
Colombia
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
  
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
  
Breccia vs Diatomite 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. Breccia vs Diatomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Breccia and Properties of Diatomite. Learn more about Breccia vs Diatomite in the next section. The interior uses of Breccia include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Diatomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Breccia and Diatomite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Breccia in construction industry include As dimension stone, Construction aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone and that of Diatomite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium.
More about Breccia and Diatomite
Here you can know more about Breccia and Diatomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Breccia and Diatomite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Breccia includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Diatomite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Breccia vs Diatomite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors whereas, Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Breccia is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Diatomite is Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Breccia vs Diatomite. The hardness of Breccia is 7 and that of Diatomite is 1. The types of Breccia are Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia whereas types of Diatomite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Breccia and Diatomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Breccia is Not Available and that of Diatomite is 0.90 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Breccia is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Diatomite is heat resistant.