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Picrite and Diorite


Diorite and Picrite


Definition

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   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
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   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Plutonic   

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

Texture

Texture
Earthy, Rough   
Phaneritic   

Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow   
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

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   
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
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

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

Types
Oceanite   
Not Available   

Features
Host Rock for Lead   
Typically speckled black and white.   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

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
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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
6.8   
6-7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Medium to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Not Available   

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey   
Bluish Black   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Very Less Porous   

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull   
Shiny   

Compressive Strength
189.00 N/mm2   
11
225.00 N/mm2   
7

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Not Available   

Toughness
2.1   
2.1   

Specific Gravity
2.75-2.92   
2.8-3   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
1.5-2.5 g/cm3   
2.8-3 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K   
13
Not Available   

Resistance
Heat Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
Not Yet Found   

Africa
South Africa   
Egypt   

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

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
USA   

South America
Brazil   
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New Zealand, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

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, colourless, 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.

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