Granulite and Rhyolite

Granulite

Rhyolite

Rhyolite and Granulite

Definition

Granulite is fine to medium grained metamorphic rock with a granular of polygonal crystals.

Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica

History

Origin

Central Europe

North America

Discoverer

Unknown

Ferdinand von Richthofen

Etymology

From Latin granulum, a little grain or fine grained

From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Not Applicable

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granoblastic

Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic

Color

Black, Brown

Grey, White, Light Black

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Veined or Pebbled

Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

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

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Not Yet Used

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Soil Conditioner, Tombstones

Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry

Types

Not Available

Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch

Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors

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

Petroglyphs

Not Used

Figurines

Used

Not Yet Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Granulite is a fine-grained granular metamorphic rock in which the main component minerals are feldspars and quartz and forms at high temperature and pressure conditions.

Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Compound Content

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

Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-7

Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained

Large and Coarse Grained

Fracture

Not Available

Sub-conchoidal

Streak

White

Colorless

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Earthy

Compressive Strength

175.00 N/mm²

140.00 N/mm²

Cleavage

Imperfect

Not Available

Toughness

Not Available

Specific Gravity

2.8-3.0

2.65-2.67

Transparency

Opaque

Density

3.06-3.33 g/cm³

2.4-2.6 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.14 kJ/Kg K

Not Available

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

China, India

Africa

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa

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

Europe

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

Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain

Others

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Not Yet Found

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Not Yet Found

New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Granulite and Rhyolite Properties

Know all about Granulite and Rhyolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Granulite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Rhyolite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Granulite is Granoblastic whereas that of Rhyolite is Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic. Granulite appears Veined or Pebbled and Rhyolite appears Banded. The luster of Granulite is vitreous while that of Rhyolite is earthy. Granulite is available in black, brown colors whereas Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors. The commercial uses of Granulite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, soil conditioner, tombstones and that of Rhyolite are gemstone, laboratory bench tops, jewelry.