Latite

Diorite

Latite and Diorite

Latite

Diorite

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Definition

Latite is an igneous, volcanic rock, with aphanitic-aphyric to aphyric-porphyritic texture

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

History

Origin

Italy

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From the Latin word latium

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

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Phaneritic

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough

Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

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, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Metallurgical Flux, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Rhomb porphyries

Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite

Features

Host Rock for Lead

Typically speckled black and white.

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Latite 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.

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

Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon

Compound Content

CaO, Cl, MgO

Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of 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

5-5.56-7

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Bluish Black

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Shiny

Compressive Strength

310.00 N/mm²225.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

2.7

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.862.8-3

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 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

Africa

Egypt

Europe

Bulgaria

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

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Latite and Diorite Properties

Know all about Latite and Diorite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Latite and Diorite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Latite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic whereas that of Diorite is Phaneritic. Latite appears Rough and Diorite appears Shiny. The luster of Latite is subvitreous to dull while that of Diorite is shiny. Latite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Latite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, metallurgical flux, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Diorite are creating artwork, curling.