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Hornfels and Carbonatite


Carbonatite and Hornfels


Definition

Definition
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock   
Carbonatite is intrusive or extrusive igneous rock which is defined by mineralogic composition, consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals   

History
  
  

Origin
New Zealand   
Tanzania   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From German which means hornstone   
From any intrusive igneous rock, having a majority of carbonate minerals   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Plutonic   

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

Texture

Texture
Granular, Platy   
Granular, Poikiloblastic   

Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown   
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
No   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Dull   
Dull, Banded and Foilated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   
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
Artifacts, Monuments   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux   

Types

Types
Biotite hornfels   
Not Available   

Features
Smooth to touch   
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.   
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
Andalusite   
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite   

Compound Content
Fe, Mg   
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
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, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2-3   
3   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
Unknown   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Shiny   
Subvitreous to Dull   

Compressive Strength
5.80 N/mm2   
31
Not Available   

Cleavage
Perfect   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Yet Found   
1   

Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3   
2.84-2.86 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15
Not Available   

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand   
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan   

Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa   
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
United Kingdom   
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
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia   
New South Wales, New Zealand   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Hornfels and Carbonatite Properties

Know all about Hornfels and Carbonatite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Hornfels belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Carbonatite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Hornfels is Granular, Platy whereas that of Carbonatite is Granular, Poikiloblastic. Hornfels appears Dull and Carbonatite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Hornfels is shiny while that of Carbonatite is subvitreous to dull. Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors whereas Carbonatite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Hornfels are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Carbonatite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux.

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