Definition
Granophyre is a type of granitic rock which consists of intergrown feldspar and quartz crystals in a medium to fine grained groundmass
  
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
  
History
  
  
Origin
Unknown
  
Western Australia, Minnesota
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From German Granophyr, from Granit granite + Porphyr
  
From its formation process
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Volcanic
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Granophyric
  
Banded, Trellis
  
Color
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
  
Red, Reddish Brown
  
Maintenance
More
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
  
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
Paving Stone, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Curbing, Whetstones
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
  
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
  
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
  
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
  
Types
Not Available
  
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
  
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
  
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
  
Present
  
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.
  
The banded iron layers are formed in sea water when oxygen is released by photosynthetic cyano-bacteria. The oxygen then combines with dissolved iron in ocean to form insoluble iron oxides, which precipitated out, forming a thin layer of banded iron formation on ocean floor.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Hornblade, Orthoclase, Plagioclase, Quartz
  
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
  
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
  
Chemical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
6-7
  
5.5-6
  
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Large and Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Not Available
  
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
  
Earthy
  
Compressive Strength
175.00 N/mm
2
  
13
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Imperfect
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
1.5
  
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7
  
5.0-5.3
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Translucent to Opaque
  
Density
2.6-2.8 g/cm3
  
Not Available
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.79 kJ/Kg K
  
16
3.20 kJ/Kg K
  
1
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
  
Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
  
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada, Mexico, USA
  
South America
Not Yet Found
  
Bolivia, Brazil
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Not Yet Found
  
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
  
Granophyre vs Banded iron formation 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. Granophyre vs Banded iron formation characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Granophyre and Properties of Banded iron formation. Learn more about Granophyre vs Banded iron formation in the next section. The interior uses of Granophyre include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads whereas the interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Granophyre and Banded iron formation, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Granophyre in construction industry include As dimension stone and that of Banded iron formation include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..
More about Granophyre and Banded iron formation
Here you can know more about Granophyre and Banded iron formation. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Granophyre and Banded iron formation consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Granophyre includes Hornblade, Orthoclase, Plagioclase, Quartz and mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Granophyre vs Banded iron formation, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Granophyre is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors whereas, Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Granophyre is Veined or Pebbled and that of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Granophyre vs Banded iron formation. The hardness of Granophyre is 6-7 and that of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6. The types of Granophyre are Not Available whereas types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Granophyre and Banded iron formation is white. The specific heat capacity of Granophyre is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Granophyre is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.