Felsite

Pumice

Felsite and Pumice

Felsite

Pumice

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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

Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals

History

Origin

Spain

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From English feldspar and -ite

From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous

Vesicular

Color

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

Beige, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Vesicular

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Powder

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks

Medical Industry

Surgery

As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Mirror, Jewelry

As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums

Types

Igneous rock

Scoria

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.

Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.

Composition

Mineral Content

Feldspar, Iron Oxides

Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica

Compound Content

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

Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-5.56

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Planar

Streak

White

White, Greenish White or Grey

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Earthy

Compressive Strength

0.15 N/mm²51.20 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.86

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm³0.25-0.3 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.87 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

Kenya

Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Felsite and Pumice Properties

Know all about Felsite and Pumice properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Felsite and Pumice belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous whereas that of Pumice is Vesicular. Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Pumice appears Vesicular. The luster of Felsite is vitreous while that of Pumice is earthy. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas Pumice is available in beige, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors. The commercial uses of Felsite are mirror, jewelry and that of Pumice are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, as an abrasive in pencil erasers, fine abrasive used for polishing, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, used in aquariums.