Definition
A yellow sandstone which is flexible when cut into thin strips
Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene
History
Origin
-
-
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the name of a mountain range where it was found; Itacolumi mountain in Brazil
From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Rough
Phaneritic
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Rough
Shiny
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Creating Artwork, Curling
Types
Sandstone
Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Typically speckled black and white.
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
Absent
Formation
Itacolumite is a sedimentary rock which forms from cemented sand-sized clasts and is a type of sandstone.
Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.
Composition
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6-76-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Coarse or Fine
Medium to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
-
Streak
White
Bluish Black
Porosity
Highly Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Shiny
Compressive Strength
95.00 N/mm2225.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
-
Toughness
2.6
2.1
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.82.8-3
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.2-2.8 g/cm32.8-3 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
-
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Egypt
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
New Zealand, Western Australia