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Laterite
Laterite

Carbonatite
Carbonatite



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Laterite vs Carbonatite

Definition

Definition

Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas
Carbonatite is intrusive or extrusive igneous rock which is defined by mineralogic composition, consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals

History

Origin

India
Tanzania

Discoverer

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton
Unknown

Etymology

From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1
From any intrusive igneous rock, having a majority of carbonate minerals

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

-
Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic
Granular, Poikiloblastic

Color

Brown, Buff, Red
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Rough and Banded
Dull, Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Medical Industry

-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux

Types

Types

Laterite
Carbonatite

Features

Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

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.
Carbonatites are intrusive or extrusive igneous rocks which are defined by mineralogic composition consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals and are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.

Composition

Mineral Content

Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite

Compound Content

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

-
Burial Metamorphism, Contact 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, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

23
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Conchoidal

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Dull
Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

5.00 N/mm275.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

-
1

Specific Gravity

-99992.86-2.87
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

-9999 g/cm32.84-2.86 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.51 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan

Africa

East Africa, Western Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

England, Romania, Scotland
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

-
Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
Canada, USA

South America

-
Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand

Laterite vs Carbonatite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Laterite and Carbonatite Reserves. Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Carbonatite is intrusive or extrusive igneous rock which is defined by mineralogic composition, consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Laterite vs Carbonatite information and Laterite vs Carbonatite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Laterite vs Carbonatite 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. Laterite vs Carbonatite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Laterite and Properties of Carbonatite. Learn more about Laterite vs Carbonatite in the next section. The interior uses of Laterite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Carbonatite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Laterite and Carbonatite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Laterite in construction industry include Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone and that of Carbonatite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.

More about Laterite and Carbonatite

Here you can know more about Laterite and Carbonatite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Laterite and Carbonatite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Laterite includes Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Carbonatite includes Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Laterite vs Carbonatite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas, Carbonatite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Laterite is Rough and Banded and that of Carbonatite is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Laterite vs Carbonatite. The hardness of Laterite is 2 and that of Carbonatite is 3. The types of Laterite are Laterite whereas types of Carbonatite are Carbonatite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Laterite and Carbonatite is white. The specific heat capacity of Laterite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Carbonatite is 0.51 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Laterite is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Carbonatite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.