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Picrite vs Porphyry


Porphyry vs Picrite


Definition

Definition
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine   
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix   

History
  
  

Origin
Hawaii Islands   
Egypt   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century   
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites   

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   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Earthy, Rough   
Porphyritic   

Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow   
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Appearance
Rough and Shiny   
Dull   

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   
Garden Decoration, Paving 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.   
Construction Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

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, Gemstone, Jewelry   

Types

Types
Oceanite   
Rhomb Porphyry   

Features
Host Rock for Lead   
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny   

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.   
Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite   
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Not Registered   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6.8   
6-7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Irregular   

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
189.00 N/mm2   
11
Not Available   

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Imperfect   

Toughness
2.1   
1.7   

Specific Gravity
2.75-2.92   
2.5-4   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
1.5-2.5 g/cm3   
2.5-2.52 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K   
13
Not Available   

Resistance
Heat Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   

Africa
South Africa   
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa   

Europe
Iceland   
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia   

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Picrite vs Porphyry Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Picrite and Porphyry Reserves. Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine. Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Picrite vs Porphyry information and Picrite vs Porphyry characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Picrite vs Porphyry 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 Porphyry characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Picrite and Properties of Porphyry. Learn more about Picrite vs Porphyry in the next section. The interior uses of Picrite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Picrite and Porphyry, 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 Porphyry include Construction aggregate.

More about Picrite and Porphyry

Here you can know more about Picrite and Porphyry. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Picrite and Porphyry consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Picrite includes Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite and mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Picrite vs Porphyry, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Picrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors whereas, Porphyry is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, red, rust, white colors. Appearance of Picrite is Rough and Shiny and that of Porphyry is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Picrite vs Porphyry. The hardness of Picrite is 6.8 and that of Porphyry is 6-7. The types of Picrite are Oceanite whereas types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Picrite and Porphyry is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Picrite is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Porphyry is Not Available. 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 Porphyry is heat resistant, impact resistant.

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