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
History
Origin
USA
Discoverer
Bayley
Etymology
From its occurrence at Litchfield, Maine, USA
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Granular
Color
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
81% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
86% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
66% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
49% - Igneous Rocks Rocks
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
48% - Igneous Rocks Rocks
Appearance
Banded and Foilated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
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
Medical Industry
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
Types
Borolanite and Litchfieldite
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
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
Famous Monuments
-
Sculpture
-
Famous Sculptures
-
Pictographs
-
Petroglyphs
-
Figurines
-
Fossils
Absent
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.
Composition
Mineral Content
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
✔
✘
97% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
99% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
92% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
5.5-6
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven
Streak
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Luster
Greasy to Dull
Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2
Rank: 22 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
Toughness
-
Specific Gravity
2.6
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.6 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.79 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 17 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
Africa
South Africa
Europe
Finland, Norway, Portugal
Others
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
South America
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-