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Dolomite and Rhyolite


Rhyolite and Dolomite


Definition

Definition
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight   
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica   

History
  
  

Origin
Southern Alps, France   
North America   

Discoverer
Dolomieu   
Ferdinand von Richthofen   

Etymology
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock   
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

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

Texture

Texture
Earthy   
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic   

Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White   
Grey, White, Light Black   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Glassy or Pearly   
Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

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, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives   

Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium   
Not Yet Used   

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)   
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry   

Types

Types
Boninite and Jasperoid   
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.   

Features
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits   
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors   

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   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not 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.   
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides   
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   

Compound Content
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO   
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic 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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3.5-4   
6-7   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Large and Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Sub-conchoidal   

Streak
White   
Colorless   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Vitreous and Pearly   
Earthy   

Compressive Strength
140.00 N/mm2   
15
140.00 N/mm2   
15

Cleavage
Perfect   
Not Available   

Toughness
1   
2   

Specific Gravity
2.8-3   
2.65-2.67   

Transparency
Transparent to Translucent   
Opaque   

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   
2.4-2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India   
China, India   

Africa
Morocco, Namibia   
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland   
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Mexico, USA   
Canada, USA   

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Dolomite and Rhyolite Properties

Know all about Dolomite and Rhyolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dolomite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Rhyolite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Dolomite is Earthy whereas that of Rhyolite is Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic. Dolomite appears Glassy or Pearly and Rhyolite appears Banded. The luster of Dolomite is vitreous and pearly while that of Rhyolite is earthy. Dolomite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black 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 Rhyolite are gemstone, laboratory bench tops, jewelry.

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