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Foidolite and Dunite


Dunite and Foidolite


Definition

Definition
Foidolite is a rare type of coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock with a feldspathoid mineral content greater than 60%  
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
New Zealand  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Ferdinand von Hochstetter  

Etymology
From the mineral feldspathoid which is the main content of rock  
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic  
Plutonic  

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Earthy  
Phaneritic  

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White  
Dark Greenish - Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Dull  
Rough and Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar  

Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds  

Types

Types
Igneous rock  
Dunite  

Features
Host Rock for Lead  
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Foidolites 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.  
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO  
Ca, CaO, Fe, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  

Weathering
No  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
-  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
-  
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
1.5  
3.5-4  

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  
Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Irregular  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Very Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull  
Shiny  

Compressive Strength
80.00 N/mm2  
33
107.55 N/mm2  
28

Cleavage
Perfect  
-  

Toughness
-  
2.1  

Specific Gravity
2.86  
3-3.01  

Transparency
Translucent  
Translucent to Opaque  

Density
-9999 g/cm3  
2.84-2.85 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.79 kJ/Kg K  
17
1.25 kJ/Kg K  
6

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Russia  
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey  

Africa
South Africa, Western Africa  
Morocco, South Africa  

Europe
-  
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
-  
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia  
New Zealand, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Foidolite and Dunite Properties

Know all about Foidolite and Dunite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Foidolite and Dunite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Foidolite is Earthy whereas that of Dunite is Phaneritic. Foidolite appears Dull and Dunite appears Rough and Shiny. The luster of Foidolite is subvitreous to dull while that of Dunite is shiny. Foidolite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Dunite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. The commercial uses of Foidolite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Dunite are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, source of chromite, platinum, nickel and garnet, source of diamonds.

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