Definition
A water-soluble mineral sediment resulting from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution
  
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
  
History
  
  
Origin
USA
  
Spain
  
Discoverer
Usiglio
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From a sediment left after the evaporation
  
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft 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
Earthy
  
Vesicular
  
Color
Colourless, Green, Grey, Silver, White
  
Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
  
Vesicular
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing, Powder
  
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
  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks
  
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
  
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Used in the manufacture of Ceramic Powder, Used in the preparation of Sulfuric Acid and Silicon Diborite
  
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums
  
Types
Not Available
  
Scoria
  
Features
Generally rough to touch, Splintery, Veined
  
Host Rock for Lead
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Present
  
Absent
  
Formation
Evaporite is water-soluble mineral sediment which forms from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution.
  
Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite
  
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica
  
Compound Content
CaMg(CO3)2, CaO, Calcium Sulfate, KCl, MgO, NaCl
  
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Impact 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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
2-3
  
6
  
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Planar
  
Streak
White
  
White, Greenish White or Grey
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
  
Earthy
  
Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2
  
7
51.20 N/mm2
  
26
Cleavage
Perfect
  
Perfect
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
3
  
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.99
  
2.86
  
Transparency
Translucent
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
0.25-0.3 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
0.87 kJ/Kg K
  
14
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Not Available
  
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
  
Africa
Not Available
  
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
  
Europe
United Kingdom
  
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
USA
  
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
  
South America
Colombia, Paraguay
  
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
  
New Zealand, Western Australia
  
Evaporite vs Pumice Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Evaporite vs Pumice characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Evaporite and Properties of Pumice. Learn more about Evaporite vs Pumice in the next section. The interior uses of Evaporite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Evaporite and Pumice, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Evaporite in construction industry include 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 and that of Pumice include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks.
More about Evaporite and Pumice
Here you can know more about Evaporite and Pumice. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Evaporite and Pumice consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Evaporite includes Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite and mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Evaporite vs Pumice, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Evaporite is available in colourless, green, grey, silver, white colors whereas, Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors. Appearance of Evaporite is Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Pumice is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Evaporite vs Pumice. The hardness of Evaporite is 2-3 and that of Pumice is 6. The types of Evaporite are Not Available whereas types of Pumice are Scoria. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Evaporite is white while that of Pumice is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Evaporite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Pumice is 0.87 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Evaporite is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Pumice is impact resistant, pressure resistant.