Home
Compare Rocks


Granophyre and Pyroxenite


Pyroxenite and Granophyre


Definition

Definition
Granophyre is a type of granitic rock which consists of intergrown feldspar and quartz crystals in a medium to fine grained groundmass   
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine   

History
  
  

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From German Granophyr, from Granit granite + Porphyr   
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Plutonic   

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

Texture

Texture
Granophyric   
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic   

Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White   
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Veined or Pebbled   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone   

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites   

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

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Granophyre 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.   
Pyroxenites are ultramafic igneous rocks which are made up of minerals of the pyroxene group, such as augite and diopside, hypersthene, bronzite or enstatite.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Hornblade, Orthoclase, Plagioclase, Quartz   
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7   
7   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Not Available   
Uneven   

Streak
White   
White, Greenish White or Grey   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

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

Compressive Strength
175.00 N/mm2   
13
Not Available   

Cleavage
Not Available   
Irregular   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7   
3.2-3.5   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.6-2.8 g/cm3   
3.1-3.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.79 kJ/Kg K   
16
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

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

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

Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela   
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New Zealand, Queensland   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Granophyre and Pyroxenite Properties

Know all about Granophyre and Pyroxenite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Granophyre and Pyroxenite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Granophyre is Granophyric whereas that of Pyroxenite is Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic. Granophyre appears Veined or Pebbled and Pyroxenite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Granophyre is dull to grainy with sporadic parts pearly and vitreous while that of Pyroxenite is dull to vitreous to submetallic. Granophyre is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas Pyroxenite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors. The commercial uses of Granophyre are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, tombstones and that of Pyroxenite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks