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Obsidian vs Nepheline Syenite


Nepheline Syenite vs 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  
Nepheline Syenite is a holocrystalline plutonic rock resembling syenite but containing nepheline and lacking quartz  

History
  
  

Origin
Ethiopia  
-  

Discoverer
Obsius  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Latin obsidianus, misprint of Obsianus (lapis) (stone) of Obsius  
From origin of a Palaeozoic nepheline syenite from northern Shanxi Province, China  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
Plutonic  

Other Categories
Opaque Rock  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Glassy  
Granular  

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow  
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Shiny  
Banded and Foilated  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
-  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points  
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
Surgery  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery  
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Mirror, Used in aquariums  
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian  
Borolanite and Litchfieldite  

Features
Blocks negativity, Helps to protect against depression  
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  
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.  
Nepheline Syenites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
-  
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Impact 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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion  
Chemical Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-5.5  
5.5-6  

Grain Size
-  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal to Uneven  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Very Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Vitreous  
Greasy to Dull  

Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2  
99+
150.00 N/mm2  
22

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7  
2.6  

Transparency
Translucent  
Translucent to Opaque  

Density
2.6 g/cm3  
2.6 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
0.71 kJ/Kg K  
23

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia  
Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam  

Africa
Kenya  
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa  

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey  
Andorra, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden  

Others
-  
Greenland  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru  
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand  
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia  

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Obsidian vs Nepheline Syenite 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 Obsidian and Nepheline Syenite Reserves. 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. Nepheline Syenite is a holocrystalline plutonic rock resembling syenite but containing nepheline and lacking quartz. 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 Obsidian vs Nepheline Syenite information and Obsidian vs Nepheline Syenite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Obsidian vs Nepheline Syenite 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. Obsidian vs Nepheline Syenite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Obsidian and Properties of Nepheline Syenite. Learn more about Obsidian vs Nepheline Syenite in the next section. The interior uses of Obsidian include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Nepheline Syenite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Obsidian and Nepheline Syenite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Obsidian in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points and that of Nepheline Syenite include 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.

More about Obsidian and Nepheline Syenite

Here you can know more about Obsidian and Nepheline Syenite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Obsidian and Nepheline Syenite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Obsidian includes and mineral content of Nepheline Syenite includes Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Obsidian vs Nepheline Syenite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Obsidian is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas, Nepheline Syenite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Obsidian is Shiny and that of Nepheline Syenite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Obsidian vs Nepheline Syenite. The hardness of Obsidian is 5-5.5 and that of Nepheline Syenite is 5.5-6. The types of Obsidian are Fireworks Obsidian, Mahogany, Sheen Obsidian, Snowflake obsidian and Velvet Peacock Obsidian whereas types of Nepheline Syenite are Borolanite and Litchfieldite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Obsidian and Nepheline Syenite is white. The specific heat capacity of Obsidian is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Nepheline Syenite is 0.71 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Obsidian is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Nepheline Syenite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.

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