Definition
Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
History
Origin
Brazil
Iceland
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic
Vitreous
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Black, Dark Brown
Maintenance
Less
More
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Skeletal
Glassy
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
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, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Peralkaline Nephelinite
Volcanic glass
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Absent
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.
Tachylite 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
Feldspar, Olivine
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO
Fe, Mg
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
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6.55.5
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Flat
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Vermilion
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous to Metallic
Resinous
Compressive Strength
35.00 N/mm2206.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
2.7
-
Specific Gravity
2.4-2.92.4
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.5-3 g/cm33.058 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K0.56 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Japan
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea
Africa
Rwanda, Tanzania
East Africa
Europe
-
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden
Others
Hawaii Islands
Hawaii Islands
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Colombia
-
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
Victoria