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Picrite and Pyroxenite


Pyroxenite and Picrite


Definition

Definition
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine   
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine   

History
  
  

Origin
Hawaii Islands   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century   
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks   

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, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Earthy, Rough   
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic   

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

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Appearance
Rough and Shiny   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

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, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   

Types

Types
Oceanite   
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites   

Features
Host Rock for Lead   
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet 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.   
Pyroxenites are ultramafic igneous rocks which are made up of minerals of the pyroxene group, such as augite and diopside, hypersthene, bronzite or enstatite.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite   
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene   

Compound Content
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Impact 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   
7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Uneven   

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey   
White, Greenish White or Grey   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull   
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic   

Compressive Strength
189.00 N/mm2   
11
Not Available   

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Irregular   

Toughness
2.1   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.75-2.92   
3.2-3.5   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
1.5-2.5 g/cm3   
3.1-3.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K   
13
Not Available   

Resistance
Heat Resistant   
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
India, Russia   

Africa
South Africa   
South Africa   

Europe
Iceland   
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New Zealand, Queensland   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Picrite and Pyroxenite Properties

Know all about Picrite and Pyroxenite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Picrite and Pyroxenite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Picrite is Earthy, Rough whereas that of Pyroxenite is Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic. Picrite appears Rough and Shiny and Pyroxenite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Picrite is subvitreous to dull while that of Pyroxenite is dull to vitreous to submetallic. Picrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors whereas Pyroxenite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey 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 Pyroxenite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones.

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