Felsite

Nephelinite

Felsite and Nephelinite

Felsite

Nephelinite

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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

Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).

History

Origin

Brazil

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From English feldspar and -ite

from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē

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

Aphanitic

Color

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

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Skeletal

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Surgery

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Mirror, Jewelry

Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Igneous rock

Peralkaline Nephelinite

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

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.

Nephelinite 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

Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase

Compound Content

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

Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.56.5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Flat

Streak

White

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Vitreous to Metallic

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm²35.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.7

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.4-2.9

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm³2.5-3 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.88 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Japan

Africa

Kenya

Rwanda, Tanzania

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

Hawaii Islands

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand

All about Felsite and Nephelinite Properties

Know all about Felsite and Nephelinite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Felsite and Nephelinite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous whereas that of Nephelinite is Aphanitic. Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Nephelinite appears Skeletal. The luster of Felsite is vitreous while that of Nephelinite is vitreous to metallic. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas Nephelinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Felsite are mirror, jewelry and that of Nephelinite are creating artwork, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).