Diabase

Porphyry

Diabase and Porphyry

Diabase

Porphyry

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Definition

Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar

Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix

History

Origin

Germany

Egypt

Discoverer

Christian Leopold von Buch

Unknown

Etymology

From Greek di + base

From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

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, Granular

Porphyritic

Color

Dark Grey to Black

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Vesicular

Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Construction Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Types

Dolerite

Rhomb Porphyry

Features

Smooth to touch

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.

Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.

Composition

Mineral Content

Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine

Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

76-7

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Irregular

Streak

Black

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²150.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

1.6

1.7

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.5-4

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.7-3.3 g/cm³2.5-2.52 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.71 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

South Africa, Tanzania

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa

Europe

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland

Others

Antarctica, Greenland

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Diabase and Porphyry Properties

Know all about Diabase and Porphyry properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Diabase and Porphyry belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Diabase is Aphanitic, Granular whereas that of Porphyry is Porphyritic. Diabase appears Vesicular and Porphyry appears Dull. The luster of Diabase is while that of Porphyry is dull. Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors whereas Porphyry is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, rust, white colors. The commercial uses of Diabase are an oil and gas reservoir, cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones and that of Porphyry are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.