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Pumice and Basanite 


Basanite  and Pumice


Definition

Definition
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals   
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone   

History
  
  

Origin
Spain   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex   
From Latin basanites + -ite   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Vesicular   
Aphanitic to Porphyritic   

Color
Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey   
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Appearance
Vesicular   
Glassy or Pearly   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Powder   
Whetstones   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks   
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points   

Medical Industry
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums   
As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms   

Types

Types
Scoria   
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite   

Features
Host Rock for Lead   
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.   
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica   
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase   

Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide   
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6   
7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Planar   
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Waxy and Dull   

Compressive Strength
51.20 N/mm2   
26
Not Available   

Cleavage
Perfect   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
3   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
2.86   
2.5-2.8   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm3   
2.7 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K   
14
0.74 kJ/Kg K   
19

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   
Not Yet Found   

Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania   
Uganda   

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA   
USA   

South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   
Bolivia, Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Pumice and Basanite  Properties

Know all about Pumice and Basanite  properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pumice and Basanite  belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Pumice is Vesicular whereas that of Basanite  is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Pumice appears Vesicular and Basanite  appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Pumice is earthy while that of Basanite  is waxy and dull. Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas Basanite  is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Pumice are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, as an abrasive in pencil erasers, fine abrasive used for polishing, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, used in aquariums and that of Basanite  are as a touchstone, creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms.

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