Diabase

Quartzite

Diabase and Quartzite

Diabase

Quartzite

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Definition

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

Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone

History

Origin

Germany

Discoverer

Christian Leopold von Buch

Unknown

Etymology

From Greek di + base

From quartz + -ite

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic, Granular

Foliated, Granular

Color

Dark Grey to Black

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Vesicular

Lustrous

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, 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

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As armour rock for sea walls, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, In aquifers, Laboratory bench tops, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums

Types

Dolerite

Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite

Features

Smooth to touch

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

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.

Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz

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, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

76-7

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Medium Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

Black

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²115.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Indiscernible

Toughness

1.6

1.9

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.872.6-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Transparent to Translucent

Density

2.7-3.3 g/cm³2.32-2.42 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.75 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey

Africa

South Africa, Tanzania

Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Europe

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom

Others

Antarctica, Greenland

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Bahamas, Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

All about Diabase and Quartzite Properties

Know all about Diabase and Quartzite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Diabase belongs to Igneous Rocks while Quartzite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Diabase is Aphanitic, Granular whereas that of Quartzite is Foliated, Granular. Diabase appears Vesicular and Quartzite appears Lustrous. The luster of Diabase is while that of Quartzite is vitreous. Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors whereas Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow 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 Quartzite are an oil and gas reservoir, as armour rock for sea walls, cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, in aquifers, laboratory bench tops, petroleum reservoirs, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones, used in aquariums.