Definition
Minette is a variety of Lamprophyre and is porphyritic alkaline igneous rock which is mainly dominated by biotite and potassic feldspar
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French mine ore, mine + ette
From pseudo- + tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Porphyritic
Quench
Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Dull and Soft
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
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
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
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
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
Formation
Minette formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kms, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Uneven
Streak
White
Light to dark brown
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Vitreous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Conchoidal
Irregular
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
2.46-2.86
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Transparent to Translucent
Density
2.95-2.96 g/cm3
2.7-2.9 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
Western Africa
Europe
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
Great Britain, Switzerland
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Not Yet Found
South America
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
Minette vs Pseudotachylite 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. Minette vs Pseudotachylite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Minette and Properties of Pseudotachylite. Learn more about Minette vs Pseudotachylite in the next section. The interior uses of Minette include Countertops, Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Pseudotachylite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Minette and Pseudotachylite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Minette in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Pseudotachylite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement.
More about Minette and Pseudotachylite
Here you can know more about Minette and Pseudotachylite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Minette and Pseudotachylite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Minette includes Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene and mineral content of Pseudotachylite includes Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Minette vs Pseudotachylite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Minette is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors whereas, Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Minette is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Pseudotachylite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Minette vs Pseudotachylite. The hardness of Minette is 5-6 and that of Pseudotachylite is 7. The types of Minette are Minette, Alnoite, Camptonite, Monchiquite, Fourchite, Vogesite, Appinite and Spessartite whereas types of Pseudotachylite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Minette is white while that of Pseudotachylite is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Minette is Not Available and that of Pseudotachylite 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.Minette is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Pseudotachylite is heat resistant.