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Litchfieldite vs Banded iron formation


Banded iron formation vs Litchfieldite


Definition

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   
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age   

History
  
  

Origin
USA   
Western Australia, Minnesota   

Discoverer
Bayley   
Unknown   

Etymology
From its occurrence at Litchfield, Maine, USA   
From its formation process   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Granular   
Banded, Trellis   

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

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Banded and Foilated   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration   
Paving Stone, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing, Whetstones   

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   
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork   
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Borolanite and Litchfieldite   
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite   

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   
Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

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.   
The banded iron layers are formed in sea water when oxygen is released by photosynthetic cyano-bacteria. The oxygen then combines with dissolved iron in ocean to form insoluble iron oxides, which precipitated out, forming a thin layer of banded iron formation on ocean floor.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite   
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Chemical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6   
5.5-6   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Large and Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven   
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Greasy to Dull   
Earthy   

Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2   
14
Not Available   

Cleavage
Poor   
Imperfect   

Toughness
Not Available   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
2.6   
5.0-5.3   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
2.6 g/cm3   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
3.20 kJ/Kg K   
1

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found   
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam   

Africa
South Africa   
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
Finland, Norway, Portugal   
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Bolivia, Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   

Definition >>
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Litchfieldite vs Banded iron formation 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 Litchfieldite and Banded iron formation Reserves. 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. Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age. 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 Litchfieldite vs Banded iron formation information and Litchfieldite vs Banded iron formation characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Litchfieldite vs Banded iron formation 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. Litchfieldite vs Banded iron formation characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Litchfieldite and Properties of Banded iron formation. Learn more about Litchfieldite vs Banded iron formation in the next section. The interior uses of Litchfieldite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Litchfieldite and Banded iron formation, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Litchfieldite in construction industry 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 and that of Banded iron formation include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..

More about Litchfieldite and Banded iron formation

Here you can know more about Litchfieldite and Banded iron formation. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Litchfieldite and Banded iron formation consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Litchfieldite includes Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite and mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Litchfieldite vs Banded iron formation, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Litchfieldite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Litchfieldite is Banded and Foilated and that of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Litchfieldite vs Banded iron formation. Hardness of Litchfieldite and Banded iron formation is 5.5-6. The types of Litchfieldite are Borolanite and Litchfieldite whereas types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Litchfieldite and Banded iron formation is white. The specific heat capacity of Litchfieldite is Not Available and that of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Litchfieldite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant whereas Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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