Porphyry

Hornblendite

Porphyry and Hornblendite

Porphyry

Hornblendite

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Definition

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

Hornblendite is a type of igneous plutonic rock consisting mainly of amphibole hornblende and is a type of Amphibolite rock

History

Origin

Egypt

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

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

From German, Horn horn + blende

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

Banded, Foliated, Massive

Color

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

Black, Brown, Green, Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull

Foliated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Construction Aggregate

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Rhomb Porphyry

Hornblende Gabbro and Hornblende Peridotite

Features

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

Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

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.

Hornblendite 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.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Amphibole, Calcite, Hornblade, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Wollastonite

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-76-7

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Irregular to Conchoidal

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Vitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

150.00 N/mm²250.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.7

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.5-42.5

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.5-2.52 g/cm³2.85-3.07 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.71 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Russia, Turkey

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa

Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Europe

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

Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

South Australia, Western Australia

All about Porphyry and Hornblendite Properties

Know all about Porphyry and Hornblendite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Porphyry and Hornblendite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Porphyry is Porphyritic whereas that of Hornblendite is Banded, Foliated, Massive. Porphyry appears Dull and Hornblendite appears Foliated. The luster of Porphyry is dull while that of Hornblendite is vitreous to dull. Porphyry and Hornblendite are available in black, brown, green, grey, red, rust, white colors. The commercial uses of Porphyry are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry and that of Hornblendite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.