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Obsidian and Nephelinite


Nephelinite and Obsidian


Definition

Definition
Obsidian is a naturally occurring volcanic glass formed as an extrusive igneous rock. It is produced when felsic lava extruded from a volcano cools rapidly with minimum crystal growth   
Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).   

History
  
  

Origin
Ethiopia   
Brazil   

Discoverer
Obsius   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius   
from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Plutonic   

Other Categories
Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Glassy   
Aphanitic   

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Shiny   
Skeletal   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Surgery   
Not Yet Used   

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums   
Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   

Types

Types
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian   
Peralkaline Nephelinite   

Features
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression   
Host Rock for Lead   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
When the lava is released from volcano, it undergoes a very rapid cooling which freezes the mechanisms of crystallization. The result is a volcanic glass with a uniform smooth texture.   
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.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Not Available   
Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism   
Contact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-5.5   
6.5   

Grain Size
Not Applicable   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Flat   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Vitreous   
Vitreous to Metallic   

Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2   
33
35.00 N/mm2   
29

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Imperfect   

Toughness
Not Available   
2.7   

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7   
2.4-2.9   

Transparency
Translucent   
Opaque   

Density
2.6 g/cm3   
2.5-3 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
0.88 kJ/Kg K   
13

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   
Heat Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   
Japan   

Africa
Kenya   
Rwanda, Tanzania   

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   
Not Yet Found   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Hawaii Islands   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   
Colombia   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand   
Not Yet Found   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Obsidian and Nephelinite Properties

Know all about Obsidian and Nephelinite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Obsidian and Nephelinite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Obsidian is Glassy whereas that of Nephelinite is Aphanitic. Obsidian appears Shiny and Nephelinite appears Skeletal. The luster of Obsidian is vitreous while that of Nephelinite is vitreous to metallic. Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas Nephelinite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Obsidian are creating artwork, mirror, used in aquariums and that of Nephelinite are creating artwork, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).

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