Definition
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture
Origin
Unknown
Tonale, Italy
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 Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Rough
Phaneritic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Not Available
Dacite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
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
Formation
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.
Mineral Content
Silicon
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Bluish Black
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
2.86-3
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
2.73 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
Not Yet Found
Africa
Not Yet Found
Egypt
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Bolivia
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, South Australia
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia
Flint vs Tonalite 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 Tonalite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Flint and Properties of Tonalite. Learn more about Flint vs Tonalite in the next section. The interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Tonalite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Flint and Tonalite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Flint in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points and that of Tonalite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Flint and Tonalite
Here you can know more about Flint and Tonalite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Flint and Tonalite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Flint includes Silicon and mineral content of Tonalite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Flint vs Tonalite, 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, Tonalite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Flint is Glassy or Pearly and that of Tonalite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Flint vs Tonalite. The hardness of Flint is 7 and that of Tonalite is 6-7. The types of Flint are Not Available whereas types of Tonalite are Dacite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Flint is white while that of Tonalite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Flint is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Tonalite is 0.92 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 Tonalite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.