Definition
A yellow sandstone which is flexible when cut into thin strips
Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the name of a mountain range where it was found; Itacolumi mountain in Brazil
from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Rough
Aphanitic
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough
Skeletal
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
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, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Not Available
Peralkaline Nephelinite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
Formation
Itacolumite is a sedimentary rock which forms from cemented sand-sized clasts and is a type of sandstone.
Nephelinite 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.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Coarse or Fine
Fine Grained
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Vitreous to Metallic
Cleavage
Perfect
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.4-2.9
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.2-2.8 g/cm3
2.5-3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Japan
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Rwanda, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Not Yet Found
Others
Greenland
Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Not Yet Found
Itacolumite vs Nephelinite 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. Itacolumite vs Nephelinite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Itacolumite and Properties of Nephelinite. Learn more about Itacolumite vs Nephelinite in the next section. The interior uses of Itacolumite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Nephelinite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Itacolumite and Nephelinite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Itacolumite in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Nephelinite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Itacolumite and Nephelinite
Here you can know more about Itacolumite and Nephelinite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Itacolumite and Nephelinite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Itacolumite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Nephelinite includes Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Itacolumite vs Nephelinite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Itacolumite is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Nephelinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Itacolumite is Rough and that of Nephelinite is Skeletal. Properties of rock is another aspect for Itacolumite vs Nephelinite. The hardness of Itacolumite is 6-7 and that of Nephelinite is 6.5. The types of Itacolumite are Not Available whereas types of Nephelinite are Peralkaline Nephelinite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Itacolumite and Nephelinite is white. The specific heat capacity of Itacolumite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Nephelinite is 0.88 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Itacolumite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Nephelinite is heat resistant.