Dunite and Kenyte

Dunite

Kenyte

Definition

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

Kenyte is a variety of porphyritic phonolite or trachyte rock with rhomb shaped phenocrysts of anorthoclase with variable olivine and augite in a glassy matrix

History

Origin

New Zealand

Mount Kenya

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Hochstetter

J. W. Gregory

Etymology

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

From the mountain ranges- Mount Kenya and is named by J. W. Gregory in 1900

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Not Applicable

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Phaneritic

Glassy, Granular

Color

Dark Greenish - Grey

Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Rough and Shiny

Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

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

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Not Available

Features

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

Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

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

Kenyte 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

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

Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite

Compound Content

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

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-4

5.5-6

Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

White

White, Greenish White or Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Shiny

Greasy to Dull

Compressive Strength

107.55 N/mm²

150.00 N/mm²

Cleavage

Imperfect

Poor

Toughness

2.1

Not Available

Specific Gravity

3-3.01

2.6

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.84-2.85 g/cm³

2.6 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.25 kJ/Kg K

Not Available

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam

Africa

Morocco, South Africa

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

Europe

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

Andorra, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden

Others

Not Yet Found

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela

Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Dunite and Kenyte Properties

Know all about Dunite and Kenyte properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dunite and Kenyte belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Dunite is Phaneritic whereas that of Kenyte is Glassy, Granular. Dunite appears Rough and Shiny and Kenyte appears Banded and Foilated. The luster of Dunite is shiny while that of Kenyte is greasy to dull. Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas Kenyte is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, 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 Kenyte are cemetery markers, creating artwork.