Nephelinite

Litchfieldite

Nephelinite and Litchfieldite

Nephelinite

Litchfieldite

Add ⊕

Definition

Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).

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

History

Origin

Brazil

USA

Discoverer

Unknown

Bayley

Etymology

from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē

From its occurrence at Litchfield, Maine, USA

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic

Granular

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Skeletal

Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

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

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Creating Artwork

Types

Peralkaline Nephelinite

Borolanite and Litchfieldite

Features

Host Rock for Lead

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

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Nephelinite 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.

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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase

Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite

Compound Content

Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.55.5-6

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Flat

Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous to Metallic

Greasy to Dull

Compressive Strength

35.00 N/mm²150.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.7

Specific Gravity

2.4-2.92.6

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.5-3 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.79 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Japan

Africa

Rwanda, Tanzania

South Africa

Europe

Finland, Norway, Portugal

Others

Hawaii Islands

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada

South America

Colombia

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

All about Nephelinite and Litchfieldite Properties

Know all about Nephelinite and Litchfieldite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Nephelinite and Litchfieldite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Nephelinite is Aphanitic whereas that of Litchfieldite is Granular. Nephelinite appears Skeletal and Litchfieldite appears Banded and Foilated. The luster of Nephelinite is vitreous to metallic while that of Litchfieldite is greasy to dull. Nephelinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas Litchfieldite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Nephelinite and Litchfieldite are creating artwork, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).