Definition
Dacite is a volcanic igneous rock which is rintermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite
  
Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).
  
History
  
  
Origin
Romania and Moldova, Europe
  
Brazil
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Dacia, a province of the Roman Empire which lay between the Danube River and Carpathian Mountains where the rock was first described
  
from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Volcanic
  
Plutonic
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
  
Aphanitic
  
Color
Bluish - Grey, Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
  
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Vesicular
  
Skeletal
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping
  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
  
Types
Footwall Dacite, Hanging wall Dacite, Tuff and Biotite Dacite
  
Peralkaline Nephelinite
  
Features
Host Rock for Lead, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Host Rock for Lead
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
Formation
Dacitic magma is formed by the subduction of young oceanic crust under a thick felsic continental plate. Further, the Oceanic crust is hydrothermally altered as quartz and sodium are added.
  
Nephelinite 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
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon
  
Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase
  
Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide
  
Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
  
Contact Metamorphism
  
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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
2-2.25
  
6.5
  
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Flat
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
  
Vitreous to Metallic
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
35.00 N/mm
2
  
29
Cleavage
Perfect
  
Imperfect
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
2.7
  
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
  
2.4-2.9
  
Transparency
Translucent
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.77-2.771 g/cm3
  
2.5-3 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
0.88 kJ/Kg K
  
13
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Not Yet Found
  
Japan
  
Africa
Not Yet Found
  
Rwanda, Tanzania
  
Europe
France, Greece, Romania, Scotland, Spain
  
Not Yet Found
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Hawaii Islands
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
  
Colombia
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia
  
Not Yet Found