Litchfieldite and Marl

Litchfieldite

Marl

Definition

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

Marl is an unconsolidated sedimentary rock consisting of clay and lime

History

Origin

USA

Unknown

Discoverer

Bayley

Unknown

Etymology

From its occurrence at Litchfield, Maine, USA

From Old French marle, from Late Latin marglia

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Not Applicable

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granular

Earthy

Color

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

Beige, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Banded and Foilated

Rough and Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, Roof Tiles

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

Not Available

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Jewellery, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork

Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner

Types

Borolanite and Litchfieldite

Clay Marl ,Blue Marl, Red Marl, High Bank Marl, Shell Layer Marl, Under Shell Layer Marl, Sand Marl, Green Marl, Grey Marl and Clayey Marl

Features

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

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Splintery, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Not Yet Used

Famous Monuments

Not Available

Not Applicable

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

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.

Marl forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settles at the bottom of water bodies and are compacted by overlying sediment; the water squeezes out and hence forming Marl rock.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Calcite, Clay, Dolomite, Gypsum, Micas, Pyrite, Quartz

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5.5-6

2-3

Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal to Uneven

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Greasy to Dull

Dull

Compressive Strength

150.00 N/mm²

Not Available

Cleavage

Not Available

Toughness

Not Available

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.6

2.2-2.8

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm³

2.4-2.8 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Not Available

India, Pakistan, Russia

Africa

South Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa

Europe

Finland, Norway, Portugal

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Not Available

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada

USA

South America

Brazil

Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Not Available

New South Wales, Victoria, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Litchfieldite and Marl Properties

Know all about Litchfieldite and Marl properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Litchfieldite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Marl belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Litchfieldite is Granular whereas that of Marl is Earthy. Litchfieldite appears Banded and Foilated and Marl appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Litchfieldite is greasy to dull while that of Marl is dull. Litchfieldite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Marl is available in beige, brown, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Litchfieldite are creating artwork and that of Marl are creating artwork, soil conditioner.