Picrite

Diorite

Picrite and Diorite

Picrite

Diorite

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Definition

Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine

Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene

History

Origin

Hawaii Islands

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century

From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy, Rough

Phaneritic

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Shiny

Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Roadstone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Oceanite

Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite

Features

Host Rock for Lead

Typically speckled black and white.

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Picrite 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.

Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.

Composition

Mineral Content

Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite

Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon

Compound Content

Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO

Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

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

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6.86-7

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Streak

White, Greenish White or Grey

Bluish Black

Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Shiny

Compressive Strength

189.00 N/mm²225.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.75-2.922.8-3

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Density

1.5-2.5 g/cm³2.8-3 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

Africa

South Africa

Egypt

Europe

Iceland

Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

USA

South America

Brazil

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Picrite and Diorite Properties

Know all about Picrite and Diorite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Picrite and Diorite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Picrite is Earthy, Rough whereas that of Diorite is Phaneritic. Picrite appears Rough and Shiny and Diorite appears Shiny. The luster of Picrite is subvitreous to dull while that of Diorite is shiny. Picrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors whereas Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Picrite are as a feed additive for livestock, as armour rock for sea walls, metallurgical flux, pottery, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Diorite are creating artwork, curling.