Diatomite

Wehrlite

Diatomite and Wehrlite

Diatomite

Wehrlite

Add ⊕

Definition

Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth

Wehrlite is an ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that is a mixture of olivine and clinopyroxene. It is a subdivision of the peridotites

History

Origin

Germany

Egypt

Discoverer

Unknown

Alois Wehrle

Etymology

From diatom + -ite1

From the name of a professor, Alois Wehrle

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic or Non-Clastic

Banded

Color

Grey, White, Yellow

Dark Greenish - Grey, Green

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Non-Durable

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Soft

Rough and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Types

Diatomite

Ultramafic rock

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock

Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Absent

Formation

Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.

Wehrlite 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

Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand

Pyroxene

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

15.5-6

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Metallic

Compressive Strength

-100.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.3-2.48.4

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.49-2.51 g/cm³2.6-3.7 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.90 kJ/Kg K0.63 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey

Africa

Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Morocco, South Africa

Europe

England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom

Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Colombia

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Diatomite and Wehrlite Properties

Know all about Diatomite and Wehrlite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Diatomite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Wehrlite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Diatomite is Clastic or Non-Clastic whereas that of Wehrlite is Banded. Diatomite appears Soft and Wehrlite appears Rough and Banded. The luster of Diatomite is dull while that of Wehrlite is metallic. Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors whereas Wehrlite is available in dark greenish - grey, green colors. The commercial uses of Diatomite are alumina refineries, animal feed filler, as a feed additive for livestock, creating artwork, drawing on blackboards, fire resistant, gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, in aquifers, soil conditioner, to ignite fire, used as a filter medium, used as an insecticide, whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper and that of Wehrlite are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.