Porphyry

Lignite

Porphyry and Lignite

Porphyry

Lignite

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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

Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat

History

Origin

Egypt

France

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

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

From French, Latin lignum wood + -ite1

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Porphyritic

Amorphous, Glassy

Color

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

Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull

Veined or Pebbled

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Construction Aggregate

for Road Aggregate, Steel Production

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Electricity Generation

Types

Rhomb Porphyry

Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite

Features

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

Generally rough to touch, Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

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.

Coal formation takes place due to accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. The Coal formation process continues, as peat turns into lignite brown or black coal at increasing heat and pressure.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Compound Content

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

Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur

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

6-71

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Black

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull

Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic

Compressive Strength

150.00 N/mm²-

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.7

Specific Gravity

2.5-41.1-1.4

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.5-2.52 g/cm³800-801 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.71 kJ/Kg K1.26 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa

Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

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

Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay

Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria

All about Porphyry and Lignite Properties

Know all about Porphyry and Lignite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Porphyry belongs to Igneous Rocks while Lignite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Porphyry is Porphyritic whereas that of Lignite is Amorphous, Glassy. Porphyry appears Dull and Lignite appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Porphyry is dull while that of Lignite is dull to vitreous to submetallic. Porphyry is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, rust, white colors whereas Lignite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Porphyry are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry and that of Lignite are electricity generation.