Porphyry

Sovite

Porphyry and Sovite

Porphyry

Sovite

Add ⊕

Definition

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

Sovite is a coarse-grained variety of carbonatite which belongs to intrusive igneous rock

History

Origin

Egypt

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

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

Class

Igneous 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

Granular, Poikiloblastic

Color

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

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull

Dull, Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Construction Aggregate

As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Rhomb Porphyry

Carbonatite

Features

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

Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

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.

Sovites are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite

Compound Content

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

CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide

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, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-73

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Irregular

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

150.00 N/mm²195.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.7

Specific Gravity

2.5-42.86-2.87

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.5-2.52 g/cm³2.84-2.86 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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

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

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

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

New South Wales, New Zealand

All about Porphyry and Sovite Properties

Know all about Porphyry and Sovite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Porphyry and Sovite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Porphyry is Porphyritic whereas that of Sovite is Granular, Poikiloblastic. Porphyry appears Dull and Sovite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Porphyry is dull while that of Sovite is subvitreous to dull. Porphyry is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, rust, white colors whereas Sovite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Porphyry are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry and that of Sovite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, creating artwork, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).