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
  
A ganister is a hard, fine-grained quartzose sandstone or orthoquartzite which is basically used in the manufacture of silica brick typically used to line furnaces and is a type of sedimentary rocks.
  
History
  
  
Origin
New Zealand
  
England
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From German which means hornstone
  
From gan′is-ter i.e a hard, close-grained siliceous stone, often forming the stratum which underlies a coal-seam
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Granular, Platy
  
Clastic, Granular, Rough
  
Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
  
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Dull
  
Rough
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
  
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments
  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
  
Types
Biotite hornfels
  
Not Available
  
Features
Smooth to touch
  
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Data Not Available
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Present
  
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.
  
Ganisters are formed by the destruction of easily weathered minerals mainly feldspar, within the surface horizon of soil by soil-forming processes.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Andalusite
  
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
  
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
  
Biological Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
2-3
  
6-7
  
Grain Size
Fine Grained
  
Coarse or Fine
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Splintery
  
Streak
Unknown
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Shiny
  
Dull
  
Compressive Strength
95.00 N/mm2
  
20
Cleavage
Perfect
  
Perfect
  
Toughness
Not Yet Found
  
2.6
  
Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9
  
2.2-2.8
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
  
2.2-2.8 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K
  
15
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
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
  
Hornfels vs Ganister 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. Hornfels vs Ganister characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Ganister. Learn more about Hornfels vs Ganister in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Ganister include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Ganister, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Ganister include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Hornfels and Ganister
Here you can know more about Hornfels and Ganister. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Ganister consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Ganister includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Hornfels vs Ganister, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors whereas, Ganister is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Ganister is Rough. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Ganister. The hardness of Hornfels is 2-3 and that of Ganister is 6-7. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Ganister are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Hornfels is unknown while that of Ganister is white. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Ganister is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Hornfels is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Ganister is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.