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Flint and Nephelinite


Nephelinite and Flint


Definition

Definition
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel   
Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
Brazil   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck   
from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Plutonic   

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

Texture

Texture
Banded, Rough   
Aphanitic   

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White   
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Glassy or Pearly   
Skeletal   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

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

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms   
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Peralkaline Nephelinite   

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate   
Host Rock for Lead   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.   
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
Silicon   
Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase   

Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide   
Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
No   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Not Applicable   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
6.5   

Grain Size
Very fine-grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Flat   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Vitreous   
Vitreous to Metallic   

Compressive Strength
450.00 N/mm2   
1
35.00 N/mm2   
29

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Imperfect   

Toughness
1.5   
2.7   

Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8   
2.4-2.9   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.7-2.71 g/cm3   
2.5-3 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.74 kJ/Kg K   
19
0.88 kJ/Kg K   
13

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia   
Japan   

Africa
Not Yet Found   
Rwanda, Tanzania   

Europe
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom   
Not Yet Found   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Hawaii Islands   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Bolivia   
Colombia   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, South Australia   
Not Yet Found   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Flint and Nephelinite Properties

Know all about Flint and Nephelinite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Flint belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Nephelinite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Flint is Banded, Rough whereas that of Nephelinite is Aphanitic. Flint appears Glassy or Pearly and Nephelinite appears Skeletal. The luster of Flint is vitreous while that of Nephelinite is vitreous to metallic. Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas Nephelinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Flint are creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms and that of Nephelinite are creating artwork, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).

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