Dunite

Argillite

Dunite and Argillite

Dunite

Argillite

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Definition

Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine

Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate

History

Origin

New Zealand

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Hochstetter

Unknown

Etymology

From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1

From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Phaneritic

Clastic, Polished

Color

Dark Greenish - Grey

Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Shiny

Rough and Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds

Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends

Types

Dunite

Metamorphic rock

Features

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

Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.

An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz

Compound Content

Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide

Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-42-3

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Shiny

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

107.55 N/mm²-

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

2.1

2.6

Specific Gravity

3-3.012.56-2.68

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.84-2.85 g/cm³2.54-2.66 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.25 kJ/Kg K0.87 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

Morocco, South Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

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

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

USA

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

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

All about Dunite and Argillite Properties

Know all about Dunite and Argillite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dunite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Argillite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Dunite is Phaneritic whereas that of Argillite is Clastic, Polished. Dunite appears Rough and Shiny and Argillite appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Dunite is shiny while that of Argillite is waxy and dull. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Dunite are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, source of chromite, platinum, nickel and garnet, source of diamonds and that of Argillite are fire resistant, used to manufracture paperweights and bookends.