Laterite

Diorite

Laterite and Diorite

Laterite

Diorite

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Definition

Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas

Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene

History

Origin

India

Discoverer

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton

Unknown

Etymology

From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1

From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic

Phaneritic

Color

Brown, Buff, Red

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Banded

Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

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, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums

Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Laterite

Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite

Features

Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock

Typically speckled black and white.

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Absent

Formation

Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.

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

Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

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, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium 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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

26-7

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Bluish Black

Porosity

Highly Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Shiny

Compressive Strength

5.00 N/mm²225.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

-99992.8-3

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Density

-9999 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, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

Africa

East Africa, Western Africa

Egypt

Europe

England, Romania, Scotland

Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Laterite and Diorite Properties

Know all about Laterite and Diorite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Laterite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Diorite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic whereas that of Diorite is Phaneritic. Laterite appears Rough and Banded and Diorite appears Shiny. The luster of Laterite is dull while that of Diorite is shiny. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums and that of Diorite are creating artwork, curling.