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Litchfieldite vs Obsidian


Obsidian 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   
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth   

History
  
  

Origin
USA   
Ethiopia   

Discoverer
Bayley   
Obsius   

Etymology
From its occurrence at Litchfield, Maine, USA   
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Granular   
Glassy   

Color
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White   
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Banded and Foilated   
Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Not Yet Used   

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   
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Surgery   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Jewellery   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork   
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Borolanite and Litchfieldite   
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian   

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   
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression   

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   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

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.   
When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite   
Not Available   

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
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6   
5-5.5   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Not Applicable   

Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Greasy to Dull   
Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2   
14
0.15 N/mm2   
33

Cleavage
Poor   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.6   
2.6-2.7   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Translucent   

Density
2.6 g/cm3   
2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found   
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   

Africa
South Africa   
Kenya   

Europe
Finland, Norway, Portugal   
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New Zealand   

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Litchfieldite vs Obsidian 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 Obsidian 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. Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth. 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 Obsidian information and Litchfieldite vs Obsidian characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Litchfieldite vs Obsidian 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 Obsidian characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Litchfieldite and Properties of Obsidian. Learn more about Litchfieldite vs Obsidian in the next section. The interior uses of Litchfieldite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Litchfieldite and Obsidian, 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 Obsidian include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Litchfieldite and Obsidian

Here you can know more about Litchfieldite and Obsidian. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Litchfieldite and Obsidian 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 Obsidian is not available. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Litchfieldite vs Obsidian, 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, Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Litchfieldite is Banded and Foilated and that of Obsidian is Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Litchfieldite vs Obsidian. The hardness of Litchfieldite is 5.5-6 and that of Obsidian is 5-5.5. The types of Litchfieldite are Borolanite and Litchfieldite whereas types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Litchfieldite and Obsidian is white. The specific heat capacity of Litchfieldite is Not Available and that of Obsidian is 0.92 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 Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant.

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