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Phyllite and Basanite 


Basanite  and Phyllite


Definition

Definition
Phyllite is a fine-grained metamorphic rock with a well-developed laminar structure, and is intermediate between slate and schist rocks   
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone   

History
  
  

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Greek phullon leaf + -ite1   
From Latin basanites + -ite   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Phyllitic Sheen, Slaty   
Aphanitic to Porphyritic   

Color
Black to Grey, Light Greenish Grey   
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Crinkled or Wavy   
Glassy or Pearly   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Whetstones   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone   
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Writing Slates   
As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite   

Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny   
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Phyllite is a metamorphic rock which is formed by regional metamorphism of argillaceous sediments since their cleavage arose due to deviatoric stress.   
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Alusite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc, Zircon   
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase   

Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO   
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
1-2   
7   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Phyllitic   
Waxy and Dull   

Cleavage
Crenulation and Pervasive   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
1.2   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
2.72-2.73   
2.5-2.8   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
2.18-3.3 g/cm3   
2.7 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.74 kJ/Kg K   
19

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   
Not Yet Found   

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa   
Uganda   

Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland   
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA   
USA   

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana   
Bolivia, Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Phyllite and Basanite  Properties

Know all about Phyllite and Basanite  properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Phyllite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Basanite  belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Phyllite is Phyllitic Sheen, Slaty whereas that of Basanite  is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Phyllite appears Crinkled or Wavy and Basanite  appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Phyllite is phyllitic while that of Basanite  is waxy and dull. Phyllite is available in black to grey, light greenish grey colors whereas Basanite  is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Phyllite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, writing slates and that of Basanite  are as a touchstone, creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms.

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