Definition
Carbonatite is intrusive or extrusive igneous rock which is defined by mineralogic composition, consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material
History
Origin
Tanzania
England
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From any intrusive igneous rock, having a majority of carbonate minerals
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Poikiloblastic
Brecciated, Clastic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
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
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Carbonatite
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia
Features
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
Present
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.
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.
Composition
Mineral Content
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
37
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Dull to Pearly
Compressive Strength
75.00 N/mm2180.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
1
-
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.872.86-2.87
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.84-2.86 g/cm30 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.51 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Brazil
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
New South Wales, New Zealand