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Minette and Dunite


Dunite and Minette


Definition

Definition
Minette is a variety of Lamprophyre and is porphyritic alkaline igneous rock which is mainly dominated by biotite and potassic feldspar   
Dunite is a green to brownish coarse-grained igneous rock mainly consisting of olivine   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
New Zealand   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Ferdinand von Hochstetter   

Etymology
From French mine ore, mine + ette   
From the name of Dun Mountain, New Zealand, + -ite1   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Plutonic   

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

Texture

Texture
Porphyritic   
Phaneritic   

Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey   
Dark Greenish - 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   
No   

Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated   
Rough and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories   
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar   

Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds   

Types

Types
Minette, Alnoite, Camptonite, Monchiquite, Fourchite, Vogesite, Appinite and Spessartite   
Not Available   

Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny   
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Minette formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kms, and are erupted rapidly and violently.   
Dunite is a plutonic ultramafic igneous rock consisting almost m olivine. It can be formed in two ways.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene   
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-6   
3.5-4   

Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Irregular   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull   
Shiny   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
107.55 N/mm2   
19

Cleavage
Conchoidal   
Imperfect   

Toughness
Not Available   
2.1   

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87   
3-3.01   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
2.95-2.96 g/cm3   
2.84-2.85 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
1.25 kJ/Kg K   
6

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Russia   
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey   

Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa   
Morocco, South Africa   

Europe
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom   
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela   

Others
Antarctica, Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador   
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   
New Zealand, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Minette and Dunite Properties

Know all about Minette and Dunite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Minette and Dunite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Minette is Porphyritic whereas that of Dunite is Phaneritic. Minette appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Dunite appears Rough and Shiny. The luster of Minette is subvitreous to dull while that of Dunite is shiny. Minette and Dunite are available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Minette are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Dunite are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, source of chromite, platinum, nickel and garnet, source of diamonds.

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