Granite

Phyllite

Granite and Phyllite

Granite

Phyllite

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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

Phyllite is a fine-grained metamorphic rock with a well-developed laminar structure, and is intermediate between slate and schist rocks

History

Origin

Discoverer

Alexander von Humboldt

Unknown

Etymology

From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum

From Greek phullon leaf + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granular, Phaneritic

Phyllitic Sheen, Slaty

Color

Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White

Black to Grey, Light Greenish Grey

Maintenance

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Veined or Pebbled

Crinkled or Wavy

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

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

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Writing Slates

Types

Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite

Phyllite

Features

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock

Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

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

Sculpture

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

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

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

Phyllite is a metamorphic rock which is formed by regional metamorphism of argillaceous sediments since their cleavage arose due to deviatoric stress.

Composition

Mineral Content

Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Albite, Alusite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc, Zircon

Compound Content

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

CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-71-2

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous

Phyllitic

Compressive Strength

175.00 N/mm²50.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Crenulation and Pervasive

Toughness

1.2

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.72.72-2.73

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.65-2.75 g/cm³2.18-3.3 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.79 kJ/Kg K0.79 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

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

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

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

Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic

Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Guyana

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland

All about Granite and Phyllite Properties

Know all about Granite and Phyllite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Granite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Phyllite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Granite is Granular, Phaneritic whereas that of Phyllite is Phyllitic Sheen, Slaty. Granite appears Veined or Pebbled and Phyllite appears Crinkled or Wavy. The luster of Granite is dull to grainy with sporadic parts pearly and vitreous while that of Phyllite is phyllitic. Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Phyllite is available in black to grey, light greenish grey colors. The commercial uses of Granite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones, used in aquariums and that of Phyllite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, writing slates.