Diabase

Taconite

Diabase vs Taconite

Diabase

Taconite

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Definition

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

Taconite is a low-grade iron ore which belongs to sedimentary rock and containing about 27% iron and 51% silica

History

Origin

Germany

Western Australia, Minnesota

Discoverer

Christian Leopold von Buch

Newton Horace Winchell

Etymology

From Greek di + base

From the name of Taconic Mountains in New England

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic, Granular

Banded, Trellis

Color

Dark Grey to Black

Red, Reddish Brown

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Vesicular

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building 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

As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Dolerite

Iron formation

Features

Smooth 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

Present

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.

Taconite is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. When the river reaches a lake or sea, its load of transported rocks settles or deposits at the bottom of sea or lake.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz

Compound Content

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

Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

75.5-6

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine to Medium Grained

Large and Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

Black

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Earthy

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²190.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.6

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.86-2.875-5.3

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.7-3.3 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K3.20 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, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

South Africa, Tanzania

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Others

Antarctica, Greenland

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Bolivia, Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Diabase vs Taconite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Diabase and Taconite Reserves. Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar. Taconite is a low-grade iron ore which belongs to sedimentary rock and containing about 27% iron and 51% silica. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Diabase vs Taconite information and Diabase vs Taconite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Diabase vs Taconite Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Diabase vs Taconite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diabase and Properties of Taconite. Learn more about Diabase vs Taconite in the next section. The interior uses of Diabase include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Taconite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diabase and Taconite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diabase in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Taconite include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..

More about Diabase and Taconite

Here you can know more about Diabase and Taconite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diabase and Taconite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diabase includes Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine and mineral content of Taconite includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diabase vs Taconite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Taconite is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Diabase is Vesicular and that of Taconite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diabase vs Taconite. The hardness of Diabase is 7 and that of Taconite is 5.5-6. The types of Diabase are Dolerite whereas types of Taconite are Iron formation. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diabase is black while that of Taconite is white. The specific heat capacity of Diabase is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Taconite is 3.20 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Diabase is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Taconite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.