Definition
Carbonatite is intrusive or extrusive igneous rock which is defined by mineralogic composition, consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals
Foidolite is a rare type of coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock with a feldspathoid mineral content greater than 60%
History
Origin
Tanzania
-
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From any intrusive igneous rock, having a majority of carbonate minerals
From the mineral feldspathoid which is the main content of rock
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular, Poikiloblastic
Earthy
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Dull
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
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, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Carbonatite
Igneous rock
Features
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
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.
Foidolites is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Composition
Mineral Content
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
-
Physical Properties
Hardness
31.5
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
75.00 N/mm280.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Perfect
Toughness
1
-
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.872.86
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
2.84-2.86 g/cm3-9999 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.51 kJ/Kg K0.79 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Russia
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
-
Others
Greenland
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Central Australia, Western Australia