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Felsite and Foidolite


Foidolite and Felsite


Definition

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  
Foidolite is a rare type of coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock with a feldspathoid mineral content greater than 60%  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
-  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From English feldspar and -ite  
From the mineral feldspathoid which is the main content of rock  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
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

Texture
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous  
Earthy  

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  
Dull  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration  
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration  

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate  

Medical Industry
Surgery  
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Mirror, Jewelry  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Igneous rock  
Igneous rock  

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock  
Host Rock for Lead  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

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.  
Foidolites 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
Feldspar, Iron Oxides  
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
-  

Erosion
Yes  
No  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion  
-  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-5.5  
1.5  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Very Less Porous  
Very Less Porous  

Luster
Vitreous  
Subvitreous to Dull  

Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2  
99+
80.00 N/mm2  
33

Cleavage
-  
Perfect  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7  
2.86  

Transparency
Translucent  
Translucent  

Density
2.6 g/cm3  
-9999 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
0.79 kJ/Kg K  
17

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia  
Russia  

Africa
Kenya  
South Africa, Western Africa  

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey  
-  

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  
Central Australia, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Felsite and Foidolite Properties

Know all about Felsite and Foidolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Felsite and Foidolite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous whereas that of Foidolite is Earthy. Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Foidolite appears Dull. The luster of Felsite is vitreous while that of Foidolite is subvitreous to dull. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas Foidolite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Felsite are mirror, jewelry and that of Foidolite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.

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