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Nephelinite and Minette


Minette and Nephelinite


Definition

Definition
Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).   
Minette is a variety of Lamprophyre and is porphyritic alkaline igneous rock which is mainly dominated by biotite and potassic feldspar   

History
  
  

Origin
Brazil   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē   
From French mine ore, mine + ette   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Plutonic   

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

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic   
Porphyritic   

Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White   
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Skeletal   
Dull, Banded and Foilated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, 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   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories   

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

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

Other Uses
  
  

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

Types

Types
Peralkaline Nephelinite   
Minette, Alnoite, Camptonite, Monchiquite, Fourchite, Vogesite, Appinite and Spessartite   

Features
Host Rock for Lead   
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny   

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
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

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.   
Minette formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kms, and are erupted rapidly and violently.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase   
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6.5   
5-6   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Flat   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Vitreous to Metallic   
Subvitreous to Dull   

Compressive Strength
35.00 N/mm2   
29
Not Available   

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Conchoidal   

Toughness
2.7   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.4-2.9   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
2.5-3 g/cm3   
2.95-2.96 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K   
13
Not Available   

Resistance
Heat Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Japan   
Russia   

Africa
Rwanda, Tanzania   
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa   

Europe
Not Yet Found   
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom   

Others
Hawaii Islands   
Antarctica, Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

South America
Colombia   
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Nephelinite and Minette Properties

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

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