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Dolomite and Felsite


Felsite and Dolomite


Definition

Definition
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight   
Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition   

History
  
  

Origin
Southern Alps, France   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Dolomieu   
Unknown   

Etymology
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock   
From English feldspar and -ite   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Earthy   
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous   

Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White   
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Glassy or Pearly   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock   
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   

Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium   
Surgery   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   
Mirror, Jewelry   

Types

Types
Boninite and Jasperoid   
Not Available   

Features
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.   
Felsite 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
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides   
Feldspar, Iron Oxides   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
No   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Not Applicable   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
No   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Not Applicable   
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3.5-4   
5-5.5   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Vitreous and Pearly   
Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
140.00 N/mm2   
15
0.15 N/mm2   
33

Cleavage
Perfect   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
1   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.8-3   
2.6-2.7   

Transparency
Transparent to Translucent   
Translucent   

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   
2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India   
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   

Africa
Morocco, Namibia   
Kenya   

Europe
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland   
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Mexico, USA   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

South America
Brazil, Colombia   
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula   
New Zealand   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Dolomite and Felsite Properties

Know all about Dolomite and Felsite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dolomite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Felsite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Dolomite is Earthy whereas that of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous. Dolomite appears Glassy or Pearly and Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Dolomite is vitreous and pearly while that of Felsite is vitreous. Dolomite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Dolomite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Felsite are mirror, jewelry.

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