Felsite

Aplite

Felsite and Aplite

Felsite

Aplite

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Definition

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

Aplite is a fine-grained granite composed mainly of feldspar and quartz

History

Origin

Iran

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From English feldspar and -ite

From German Aplit, from Greek haploos simple + -ite

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous

Granular, Graphic

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Veined or Pebbled

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads

Exterior Uses

Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

As Dimension Stone

Medical Industry

Surgery

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Mirror, Jewelry

Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Small Sculptures, Tombstones

Types

Igneous rock

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock

Available in lots of colors, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

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.

Aplites belong to intrusive igneous rocks which are mostly quart and alkali feldspar and are formed from residual eutectic granitic liquids and represent the final crystallization products of magma.

Composition

Mineral Content

Feldspar, Iron Oxides

Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.56.5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm²130.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.6

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.79 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

Kenya

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

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand

All about Felsite and Aplite Properties

Know all about Felsite and Aplite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Felsite and Aplite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous whereas that of Aplite is Granular, Graphic. Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Aplite appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Felsite is vitreous while that of Aplite is dull to pearly to subvitreous. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas Aplite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Felsite are mirror, jewelry and that of Aplite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, small sculptures, tombstones.