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Laterite and Granulite


Granulite and Laterite


Definition

Definition
Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas  
Granulite is fine to medium grained metamorphic rock with a granular of polygonal crystals.  

History
  
  

Origin
India  
Central Europe  

Discoverer
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1  
From Latin granulum, a little grain or fine grained  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic  
Granoblastic  

Color
Brown, Buff, Red  
Black, Brown  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Rough and Banded  
Veined or Pebbled  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration  
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads  

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums  
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Soil Conditioner, Tombstones  

Types

Types
Laterite  
Metamorphic rock  

Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock  
Clasts are smooth to touch  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Present  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.   
Granulite is a fine-grained granular metamorphic rock in which the main component minerals are feldspars and quartz and forms at high temperature and pressure conditions.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Quartz  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2  
6-7  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Medium to Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
-  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Very Less Porous  

Luster
Dull  
Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
5.00 N/mm2  
99+
175.00 N/mm2  
20

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
-9999  
2.8-3.0  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
-9999 g/cm3  
3.06-3.33 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
0.14 kJ/Kg K  
33

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India  
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam  

Africa
East Africa, Western Africa  
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Nigeria, South Africa  

Europe
England, Romania, Scotland  
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
-  
-  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia  
-  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Laterite and Granulite Properties

Know all about Laterite and Granulite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Laterite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Granulite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic whereas that of Granulite is Granoblastic. Laterite appears Rough and Banded and Granulite appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Laterite is dull while that of Granulite is vitreous. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas Granulite is available in black, brown colors. The commercial uses of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums and that of Granulite are curling, gemstone, laboratory bench tops, soil conditioner, tombstones.

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