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Metapelite and Pumice


Pumice and Metapelite


Definition

Definition
Metapelite is an old and currently not widely used field geological term for a clay rich fine-grained clastic sediment or sedimentary rock, i.e. mud or a mudstone   
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
Spain   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Pelos or clay in Greek   
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Foliated   
Vesicular   

Color
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Green, Light Greenish Grey   
Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Banded   
Vesicular   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing, Powder   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Scoria   

Features
Easily splits into thin plates, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock   
Host Rock for Lead   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Metapelite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.   
Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Chlorite, Quartz   
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, MgO   
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-6   
6   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Fibrous   
Planar   

Streak
Unknown   
White, Greenish White or Grey   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Earthy   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
51.20 N/mm2   
26

Cleavage
Not Available   
Perfect   

Toughness
Not Available   
3   

Specific Gravity
3.4-3.7   
2.86   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
0-300 g/cm3   
0.25-0.3 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.72 kJ/Kg K   
20
0.87 kJ/Kg K   
14

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found   
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   

Africa
Western Africa   
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania   

Europe
United Kingdom   
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Not Available   
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA   

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia   
New Zealand, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Metapelite and Pumice Properties

Know all about Metapelite and Pumice properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Metapelite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Pumice belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Metapelite is Foliated whereas that of Pumice is Vesicular. Metapelite appears Banded and Pumice appears Vesicular. The luster of Metapelite and Pumice is earthy. Metapelite is available in dark greenish - grey, green, light green, light greenish grey colors whereas Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors. The commercial uses of Metapelite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Pumice are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, as an abrasive in pencil erasers, fine abrasive used for polishing, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, used in aquariums.

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