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).
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
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Rough
Aphanitic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Skeletal
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
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
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
Chert and Jasper
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
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.
Mineral Content
Silicon
Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
-
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Vitreous to Metallic
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
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
Japan
Africa
-
Rwanda, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, South Australia
-
Flint vs Nephelinite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Flint vs Nephelinite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Flint and Properties of Nephelinite. Learn more about Flint vs Nephelinite in the next section. The interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Nephelinite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Flint and Nephelinite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Flint in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points and that of Nephelinite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Flint and Nephelinite
Here you can know more about Flint and Nephelinite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Flint and Nephelinite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Flint includes Silicon and mineral content of Nephelinite includes Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Flint vs Nephelinite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas, Nephelinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Flint is Glassy or Pearly and that of Nephelinite is Skeletal. Properties of rock is another aspect for Flint vs Nephelinite. The hardness of Flint is 7 and that of Nephelinite is 6.5. The types of Flint are Chert and Jasper whereas types of Nephelinite are Peralkaline Nephelinite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Flint and Nephelinite is white. The specific heat capacity of Flint is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Nephelinite is 0.88 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Flint is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Nephelinite is heat resistant.