Porphyry

Andesite

Porphyry vs Andesite

Porphyry

Andesite

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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

Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava

History

Origin

Egypt

North America

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

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

From Andes mountains, where it is found in abundance

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Porphyritic

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

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

Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull

Dull and Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Office Buildings, Roof Tiles

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Construction Aggregate

Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Not Available

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Rhomb Porphyry

Icelandite

Features

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

Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Not Available

Middle of the Earth in Ecuador

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

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.

Andesite is a fine-grained igneous rock that forms when the magma is erupted onto the surface and is crystallized quickly.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon

Compound Content

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

Silicon 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, Not Registered

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-77

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Irregular

Uneven

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

NA225.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Not Available

Toughness

1.7

1.1

Specific Gravity

2.5-42.5-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.5-2.52 g/cm³2.11-2.36 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

NA2.39 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

India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

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

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

Others

Greenland

Not Available

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA

Mexico, USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

Porphyry vs Andesite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Porphyry and Andesite Reserves. Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix. Andesite is a dark, fine-grained, brown or greyish intermediate volcanic rock which is a commonly found in lava. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Porphyry vs Andesite information and Porphyry vs Andesite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Porphyry vs Andesite Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Porphyry vs Andesite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Porphyry and Properties of Andesite. Learn more about Porphyry vs Andesite in the next section. The interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Andesite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Porphyry and Andesite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Porphyry in construction industry include Construction aggregate and that of Andesite include Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Porphyry and Andesite

Here you can know more about Porphyry and Andesite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Porphyry and Andesite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica and mineral content of Andesite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Porphyry vs Andesite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Porphyry is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, rust, white colors whereas, Andesite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. Appearance of Porphyry is Dull and that of Andesite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Porphyry vs Andesite. The hardness of Porphyry is 6-7 and that of Andesite is 7. The types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry whereas types of Andesite are Icelandite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Porphyry and Andesite is white. The specific heat capacity of Porphyry is Not Available and that of Andesite is 2.39 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Porphyry is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Andesite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.