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Granite and Carbonatite


Carbonatite and Granite


Definition

Definition
Granite is a very hard, granular, crystalline igneous rock which consists mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and is often used as building stone   
Carbonatite is intrusive or extrusive igneous rock which is defined by mineralogic composition, consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
Tanzania   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum   
From any intrusive igneous rock, having a majority of carbonate minerals   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Plutonic   

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

Texture

Texture
Granular, Phaneritic   
Granular, Poikiloblastic   

Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White   
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Veined or Pebbled   
Dull, Banded and Foilated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads   
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts   
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone   
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Unknown, Unknown   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium   

Antiquity Uses
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux   

Types

Types
Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite   
Not Available   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock   
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Blue Domed Church in Santorini, Greece, Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London, UK, Ephesus in Turkey, Georgia Guidestones in Georgia, US, Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Khajuraho Temples, India, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, India, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Signers Monument in Augusta, Georgia, Statue of Liberty in New York, USA, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower Bridge in London, Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, US, Washington Monument, US   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Avukana Buddha Statue in Sri Lanka, Lincoln Memorial in America, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US, The Colossal Red Granite Statue of Amenhotep III in Karnak, Egypt   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Granite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental rocks   
Carbonatites are intrusive or extrusive igneous rocks which are defined by mineralogic composition consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals and are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7   
3   

Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained   
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Not Available   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous   
Subvitreous to Dull   

Compressive Strength
175.00 N/mm2   
13
Not Available   

Cleavage
Not Available   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Available   
1   

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.65-2.75 g/cm3   
2.84-2.86 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.79 kJ/Kg K   
16
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan   

Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela   
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New South Wales, New Zealand   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Granite and Carbonatite Properties

Know all about Granite and Carbonatite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Granite and Carbonatite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Granite is Granular, Phaneritic whereas that of Carbonatite is Granular, Poikiloblastic. Granite appears Veined or Pebbled and Carbonatite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Granite is dull to grainy with sporadic parts pearly and vitreous while that of Carbonatite is subvitreous to dull. Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Carbonatite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Granite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones, used in aquariums and that of Carbonatite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux.

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