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Felsite and Limestone


Limestone 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   
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
New Zealand   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Belsazar Hacquet   

Etymology
From English feldspar and -ite   
From lime and stone in late 14th Century   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous   
Clastic or Non-Clastic   

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Rough and Banded   

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, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium   

Medical Industry
Surgery   
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Mirror, Jewelry   
Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock   
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

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.   
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Feldspar, Iron Oxides   
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-5.5   
3-4   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Splintery   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Vitreous   
Dull to Pearly   

Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2   
33
115.00 N/mm2   
18

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
Not Available   
1   

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7   
2.3-2.7   

Transparency
Translucent   
Opaque   

Density
2.6 g/cm3   
2.3-2.7 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
0.91 kJ/Kg K   
11

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   
Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam   

Africa
Kenya   
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe   

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   
United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
USA   

South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   
Colombia   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand   
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Felsite and Limestone Properties

Know all about Felsite and Limestone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Felsite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Limestone belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous whereas that of Limestone is Clastic or Non-Clastic. Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Limestone appears Rough and Banded. The luster of Felsite is vitreous while that of Limestone is dull to pearly. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Felsite are mirror, jewelry and that of Limestone are animal feed filler, as a feed additive for livestock, paper industry, raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, soil conditioner, used in aquariums, whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper.

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