Porphyry and Diorite

Porphyry

Diorite

Definition

Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix

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

History

Origin

Egypt

Unknown

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites

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

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Porphyritic

Phaneritic

Color

Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Dull

Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Construction Aggregate

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

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Rhomb Porphyry

Not Available

Features

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny

Typically speckled black and white.

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Not Used

Petroglyphs

Not Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

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.

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, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica

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

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

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

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Not Registered

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-7

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Not Available

Streak

White

Bluish Black

Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Shiny

Compressive Strength

Not Available

225.00 N/mm²

Cleavage

Imperfect

Not Available

Toughness

1.7

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.5-4

2.8-3

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.5-2.52 g/cm³

2.8-3 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Not Yet Found

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa

Egypt

Europe

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

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

Others

Greenland

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA

USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Porphyry and Diorite Properties

Know all about Porphyry and Diorite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Porphyry and Diorite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Porphyry is Porphyritic whereas that of Diorite is Phaneritic. Porphyry appears Dull and Diorite appears Shiny. The luster of Porphyry is dull while that of Diorite is shiny. Porphyry is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, red, rust, white colors whereas Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Porphyry are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry and that of Diorite are creating artwork, curling.