Felsite

Carbonatite

Felsite and Carbonatite

Felsite

Carbonatite

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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

Carbonatite is intrusive or extrusive igneous rock which is defined by mineralogic composition, consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals

History

Origin

Tanzania

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From English feldspar and -ite

From any intrusive igneous rock, having a majority of carbonate minerals

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous

Granular, Poikiloblastic

Color

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

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Dull, Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

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

Medical Industry

Surgery

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Mirror, Jewelry

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux

Types

Igneous rock

Carbonatite

Features

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

Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, 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.

Carbonatites are intrusive or extrusive igneous rocks which are defined by mineralogic composition consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals and are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.

Composition

Mineral Content

Feldspar, Iron Oxides

Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite

Compound Content

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

CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.53

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm²75.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.86-2.87

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm³2.84-2.86 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.51 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan

Africa

Kenya

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand

New South Wales, New Zealand

All about Felsite and Carbonatite Properties

Know all about Felsite and Carbonatite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Felsite and Carbonatite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous whereas that of Carbonatite is Granular, Poikiloblastic. Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Carbonatite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Felsite is vitreous while that of Carbonatite is subvitreous to dull. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas Carbonatite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Felsite are mirror, jewelry and that of Carbonatite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux.