Definition
Phyllite is a fine-grained metamorphic rock with a well-developed laminar structure, and is intermediate between slate and schist rocks
Granite is a very hard, granular, crystalline igneous rock which consists mainly of quartz, mica, and feldspar and is often used as building stone
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek phullon leaf + -ite1
From Italian granito, which means grained rock, from grano grain, and from Latin granum
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phyllitic Sheen, Slaty
Granular, Phaneritic
Color
Black to Grey, Light Greenish Grey
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Crinkled or Wavy
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Writing Slates
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Types
Not Available
Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Blue Domed Church in Santorini, Greece, Blue Mosque in Istanbul, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Diana, Princess of Wales Memorial Fountain in London, UK, Ephesus in Turkey, Georgia Guidestones in Georgia, US, Hermitage in Saint Petersburg, Khajuraho Temples, India, Mahabalipuram in Tamil Nadu, India, Mysore Palace in Karnataka, India, Signers Monument in Augusta, Georgia, Statue of Liberty in New York, USA, Taj Mahal in Agra, India, Tower Bridge in London, Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington, US, Washington Monument, US
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Avukana Buddha Statue in Sri Lanka, Lincoln Memorial in America, Mount Rushmore National Memorial in South Dakota, US, The Colossal Red Granite Statue of Amenhotep III in Karnak, Egypt
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Formation
Phyllite is a metamorphic rock which is formed by regional metamorphism of argillaceous sediments since their cleavage arose due to deviatoric stress.
Granite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard, crystalline and is visibly homogeneous in texture and forms by melting of continental rocks
Mineral Content
Albite, Alusite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc, Zircon
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Large and Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Not Available
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Phyllitic
Dull to Grainy with Sporadic parts Pearly and Vitreous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Crenulation and Pervasive
Not Available
Toughness
1.2
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.72-2.73
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.18-3.3 g/cm3
2.65-2.75 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
Not Yet Found
Phyllite vs Granite 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. Phyllite vs Granite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Phyllite and Properties of Granite. Learn more about Phyllite vs Granite in the next section. The interior uses of Phyllite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Granite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Phyllite and Granite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Phyllite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone and that of Granite include As dimension stone.
More about Phyllite and Granite
Here you can know more about Phyllite and Granite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Phyllite and Granite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Phyllite includes Albite, Alusite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc, Zircon and mineral content of Granite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Phyllite vs Granite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Phyllite is available in black to grey, light greenish grey colors whereas, Granite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Phyllite is Crinkled or Wavy and that of Granite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Phyllite vs Granite. The hardness of Phyllite is 1-2 and that of Granite is 6-7. The types of Phyllite are Not Available whereas types of Granite are Igneous Protolith Granite, Sedimentary Protolith Granite, Mantle Granite, Anorogenic Granite, Hybrid Granite, Granodiorite and Alkali Feldspar Granite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Phyllite and Granite is white. The specific heat capacity of Phyllite is Not Available and that of Granite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Phyllite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant whereas Granite is heat resistant, wear resistant.