Nephelinite

Kimberlite

Nephelinite vs Kimberlite

Nephelinite

Kimberlite

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Definition

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

Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.

History

Origin

Brazil

Kimberley, South Africa

Discoverer

Unknown

John W. Judd

Etymology

from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē

From Kimberley +‎ -ite, from the name of the South African town of Kimberley where the rock was first found.

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Aphanitic

Porphyritic

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Skeletal

Dull and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

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

Peralkaline Nephelinite

Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites

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

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.

Kimberlite is an igneous rock and is the main source of diamonds. Its formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface between 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.

Composition

Mineral Content

Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase

Garnet, 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

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.56-7

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fine to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Flat

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous to Metallic

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

35.00 N/mm²260.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Conchoidal

Toughness

2.7

Specific Gravity

2.4-2.92.86-2.87

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.5-3 g/cm³2.95-2.96 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

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

England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom

Others

Hawaii Islands

Antarctica

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Colombia

Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Nephelinite vs Kimberlite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Nephelinite and Kimberlite Reserves. Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).. Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Nephelinite vs Kimberlite information and Nephelinite vs Kimberlite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Nephelinite vs Kimberlite 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. Nephelinite vs Kimberlite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Nephelinite and Properties of Kimberlite. Learn more about Nephelinite vs Kimberlite in the next section. The interior uses of Nephelinite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Kimberlite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Nephelinite and Kimberlite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Nephelinite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Kimberlite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.

More about Nephelinite and Kimberlite

Here you can know more about Nephelinite and Kimberlite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Nephelinite and Kimberlite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Nephelinite includes Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase and mineral content of Kimberlite includes Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Nephelinite vs Kimberlite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Nephelinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas, Kimberlite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors. Appearance of Nephelinite is Skeletal and that of Kimberlite is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Nephelinite vs Kimberlite. The hardness of Nephelinite is 6.5 and that of Kimberlite is 6-7. The types of Nephelinite are Peralkaline Nephelinite whereas types of Kimberlite are Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Nephelinite and Kimberlite is white. The specific heat capacity of Nephelinite is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Kimberlite 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.Nephelinite is heat resistant whereas Kimberlite is heat resistant, impact resistant.