Definition
A ganister is a hard, fine-grained quartzose sandstone or orthoquartzite which is basically used in the manufacture of silica brick typically used to line furnaces and is a type of sedimentary rocks.
  
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase
  
History
  
  
Origin
England
  
Unknown
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Alexandre Brongniart
  
Etymology
From gan′is-ter i.e a hard, close-grained siliceous stone, often forming the stratum which underlies a coal-seam
  
From Amphibole + -ite
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Rough
  
Banded, Foliated, Massive
  
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Rough
  
Foliated
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
Types
Not Available
  
Hornblendite
  
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Present
  
Absent
  
Formation
Ganisters are formed by the destruction of easily weathered minerals mainly feldspar, within the surface horizon of soil by soil-forming processes.
  
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
  
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
  
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6-7
  
6-7
  
Grain Size
Coarse or Fine
  
Medium to Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Splintery
  
Irregular to Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White to Grey
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Dull
  
Vitreous to Dull
  
Compressive Strength
95.00 N/mm
2
  
20
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Perfect
  
Irregular
  
Toughness
2.6
  
2.3
  
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
  
2.5
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.2-2.8 g/cm3
  
2.85-3.07 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Not Available
  
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
  
Russia, Turkey
  
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda
  
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
  
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland
  
Others
Greenland
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Brazil
  
Brazil
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
  
South Australia, Western Australia
  
Ganister vs Amphibolite 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. Ganister vs Amphibolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Ganister and Properties of Amphibolite. Learn more about Ganister vs Amphibolite in the next section. The interior uses of Ganister include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Ganister and Amphibolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Ganister in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Amphibolite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone.
More about Ganister and Amphibolite
Here you can know more about Ganister and Amphibolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Ganister and Amphibolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Ganister includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Ganister vs Amphibolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Ganister is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Ganister is Rough and that of Amphibolite is Foliated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Ganister vs Amphibolite. Hardness of Ganister and Amphibolite is 6-7. The types of Ganister are Not Available whereas types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Ganister is white while that of Amphibolite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Ganister is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Amphibolite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Ganister is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.