Porphyry

Limestone

Porphyry and Limestone

Porphyry

Limestone

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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

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate

History

Origin

Egypt

New Zealand

Discoverer

Unknown

Belsazar Hacquet

Etymology

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

From lime and stone in late 14th Century

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Porphyritic

Clastic or Non-Clastic

Color

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

Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull

Rough and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Construction Aggregate

Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium

Medical Industry

In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Types

Rhomb Porphyry

Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa

Features

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

Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India

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.

Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO

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, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-73-4

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Splintery

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Dull to Pearly

Compressive Strength

150.00 N/mm²115.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

1.7

Specific Gravity

2.5-42.3-2.7

0 8.4

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Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.5-2.52 g/cm³2.3-2.7 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.71 kJ/Kg K0.91 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

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Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa

Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Europe

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

United Kingdom

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA

USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula

All about Porphyry and Limestone Properties

Know all about Porphyry and Limestone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Porphyry belongs to Igneous Rocks while Limestone belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Porphyry is Porphyritic whereas that of Limestone is Clastic or Non-Clastic. Porphyry appears Dull and Limestone appears Rough and Banded. The luster of Porphyry is dull while that of Limestone is dull to pearly. Porphyry is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, rust, white colors whereas Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Porphyry are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry and that of Limestone are animal feed filler, as a feed additive for livestock, paper industry, raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, soil conditioner, used in aquariums, whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper.