Diorite

Basanite

Diorite and Basanite

Diorite

Basanite

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Definition

Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene

Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone

History

Origin

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish

From Latin basanites + -ite

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Phaneritic

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Shiny

Glassy or Pearly

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Curling

As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms

Types

Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite

Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite

Features

Typically speckled black and white.

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.

Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.

Composition

Mineral Content

Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon

Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase

Compound Content

Silicon Dioxide

Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-77

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

Bluish Black

White

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Shiny

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²100.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.1

1.5

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.5-2.8

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.8-3 g/cm³2.7 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.74 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Africa

Egypt

Uganda

Europe

Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom

Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Bolivia, Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Diorite and Basanite Properties

Know all about Diorite and Basanite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Diorite and Basanite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Diorite is Phaneritic whereas that of Basanite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Diorite appears Shiny and Basanite appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Diorite is shiny while that of Basanite is waxy and dull. Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas Basanite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Diorite are creating artwork, curling and that of Basanite are as a touchstone, creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms.