Definition
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Rough
Banded, Rough
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Shiny
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
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.
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Oceanite
Chert and Jasper
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
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.
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite
Silicon
Compound Content
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Vitreous
Specific Gravity
2.75-2.92
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
1.5-2.5 g/cm3
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
Europe
Iceland
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Bolivia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New Zealand, South Australia
Picrite vs Flint 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. Picrite vs Flint characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Picrite and Properties of Flint. Learn more about Picrite vs Flint in the next section. The interior uses of Picrite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Picrite and Flint, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Picrite in construction industry include 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. and that of Flint include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points.
More about Picrite and Flint
Here you can know more about Picrite and Flint. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Picrite and Flint consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Picrite includes Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite and mineral content of Flint includes Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Picrite vs Flint, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Picrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors whereas, Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Picrite is Rough and Shiny and that of Flint is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Picrite vs Flint. The hardness of Picrite is 6.8 and that of Flint is 7. The types of Picrite are Oceanite whereas types of Flint are Chert and Jasper. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Picrite and Flint is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Picrite is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Flint is 0.74 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Picrite is heat resistant whereas Flint is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.