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Laterite vs Litchfieldite


Litchfieldite vs 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  
Litchfieldite is a rare igneous rock which is coarse-grained, foliated and a variety of nepheline syenite, sometimes also called as nepheline syenite gneiss or gneissic nepeheline syenite  

History
  
  

Origin
India  
USA  

Discoverer
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton  
Bayley  

Etymology
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1  
From its occurrence at Litchfield, Maine, USA  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
Plutonic  

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

Texture

Texture
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic  
Granular  

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

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  
Banded and Foilated  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
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  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums  
Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Laterite  
Borolanite and Litchfieldite  

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

Formation
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.   
Litchfieldite 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  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2  
5.5-6  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal to Uneven  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Dull  
Greasy to Dull  

Compressive Strength
5.00 N/mm2  
99+
150.00 N/mm2  
22

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
-9999  
2.6  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent to Opaque  

Density
-9999 g/cm3  
2.6 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
0.79 kJ/Kg K  
17

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India  
-  

Africa
East Africa, Western Africa  
South Africa  

Europe
England, Romania, Scotland  
Finland, Norway, Portugal  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada  

South America
-  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia  
-  

Definition >>
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Laterite vs Litchfieldite 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 Litchfieldite Reserves. Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas. Litchfieldite is a rare igneous rock which is coarse-grained, foliated and a variety of nepheline syenite, sometimes also called as nepheline syenite gneiss or gneissic nepeheline syenite. 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 Litchfieldite information and Laterite vs Litchfieldite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Laterite vs Litchfieldite 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 Litchfieldite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Laterite and Properties of Litchfieldite. Learn more about Laterite vs Litchfieldite in the next section. The interior uses of Laterite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Litchfieldite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Laterite and Litchfieldite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Laterite in construction industry include Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone and that of Litchfieldite include 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.

More about Laterite and Litchfieldite

Here you can know more about Laterite and Litchfieldite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Laterite and Litchfieldite 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 Litchfieldite includes Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Laterite vs Litchfieldite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas, Litchfieldite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Laterite is Rough and Banded and that of Litchfieldite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Laterite vs Litchfieldite. The hardness of Laterite is 2 and that of Litchfieldite is 5.5-6. The types of Laterite are Laterite whereas types of Litchfieldite are Borolanite and Litchfieldite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Laterite and Litchfieldite is white. The specific heat capacity of Laterite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Litchfieldite is 0.79 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 Litchfieldite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.

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