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Diatomite vs Basalt


Basalt vs Diatomite


Definition

Definition
Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth   
Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth   

History
  
  

Origin
Germany   
Egypt   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Georgius Agricola   

Etymology
From diatom + -ite1   
From Late Latin Basaltes (variant of basanites ), very hard stone, which was imported from Ancient Greek Basanites   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic   
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular   

Color
Grey, White, Yellow   
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Non-Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
No   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Soft   
Dull and Soft   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens   

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing, Whetstones   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium   
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Cutting Tool, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments   

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   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite   

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock   
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean, Gateway of India in Mumbai, India, Gol Gumbaz in Karnataka, India   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

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.   
Basalt forms when lava reaches the Earth's surface near an active volcano. The temperature of lava is between 1100 to 1250° C when it gets to the surface.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand   
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   

Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
No   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Not Available   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
1   
6   

Grain Size
Very fine-grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Not Available   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Not Available   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
37.40 N/mm2   
28

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Not Available   

Toughness
1   
2.3   

Specific Gravity
2.3-2.4   
2.8-3   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.49-2.51 g/cm3   
2.9-3.1 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.90 kJ/Kg K   
12
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15

Resistance
Heat Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

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

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

Europe
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom   
Iceland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Colombia   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula   
Not Yet Found   

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Diatomite vs Basalt 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 Diatomite and Basalt Reserves. Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth. Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth. 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 Diatomite vs Basalt information and Diatomite vs Basalt characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Diatomite vs Basalt 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. Diatomite vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diatomite and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Diatomite vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Diatomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Diatomite and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diatomite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Diatomite and Basalt

Here you can know more about Diatomite and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diatomite and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diatomite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Diatomite vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Diatomite is Soft and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diatomite vs Basalt. The hardness of Diatomite is 1 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Diatomite are Not Available whereas types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diatomite is white while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Diatomite is 0.90 kJ/Kg K and that of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Diatomite is heat resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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