Definition
Carbonatite is intrusive or extrusive igneous rock which is defined by mineralogic composition, consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals
History
Origin
Tanzania
Discoverer
Unknown
Etymology
From any intrusive igneous rock, having a majority of carbonate minerals
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Poikiloblastic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
81% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
86% - Igneous Rocks Rocks
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
66% - Igneous Rocks Rocks
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
49% - Igneous Rocks Rocks
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
48% - Igneous Rocks Rocks
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux
Types
Carbonatite
Features
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
Famous Monuments
-
Sculpture
-
Famous Sculptures
-
Pictographs
-
Petroglyphs
-
Figurines
-
Fossils
Absent
Formation
Carbonatites are intrusive or extrusive igneous rocks which are defined by mineralogic composition consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals and are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.
Composition
Mineral Content
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
97% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
99% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
92% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
3
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
75.00 N/mm2
Rank: 34 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Toughness
1
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Density
2.84-2.86 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.51 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 29 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand