Laterite

Kenyte

Laterite and Kenyte

Laterite

Kenyte

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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

Kenyte is a variety of porphyritic phonolite or trachyte rock with rhomb shaped phenocrysts of anorthoclase with variable olivine and augite in a glassy matrix

History

Origin

India

Mount Kenya

Discoverer

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton

J. W. Gregory

Etymology

From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1

From the mountain ranges- Mount Kenya and is named by J. W. Gregory in 1900

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic

Glassy, Granular

Color

Brown, Buff, Red

Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Banded

Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Laterite

Foidolite

Features

Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock

Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest rock

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.

Kenyte 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.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

25.5-6

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

White

White, Greenish White or Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull

Greasy to Dull

Compressive Strength

5.00 N/mm²150.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

-99992.6

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

-9999 g/cm³2.6 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, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India

Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam

Africa

East Africa, Western Africa

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

England, Romania, Scotland

Andorra, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia

All about Laterite and Kenyte Properties

Know all about Laterite and Kenyte properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Laterite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Kenyte belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic whereas that of Kenyte is Glassy, Granular. Laterite appears Rough and Banded and Kenyte appears Banded and Foilated. The luster of Laterite is dull while that of Kenyte is greasy to dull. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas Kenyte is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums and that of Kenyte are cemetery markers, creating artwork.