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Pumice and Hornblendite


Hornblendite 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   
Hornblendite is a type of igneous plutonic rock consisting mainly of amphibole hornblende and is a type of Amphibolite rock   

History
  
  

Origin
Spain   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex   
From German, Horn horn + blende   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Plutonic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Vesicular   
Banded, Foliated, Massive   

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

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Vesicular   
Foliated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Powder   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone   

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

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

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   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Scoria   
Hornblende Gabbro and Hornblende Peridotite   

Features
Host Rock for Lead   
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
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.   
Hornblendite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica   
Amphibole, Calcite, Hornblade, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Wollastonite   

Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological 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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6   
6-7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Medium to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Planar   
Irregular to Conchoidal   

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Vitreous to Dull   

Compressive Strength
51.20 N/mm2   
26
Not Available   

Cleavage
Perfect   
Irregular   

Toughness
3   
2.3   

Specific Gravity
2.86   
2.5   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm3   
2.85-3.07 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K   
14
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   
Russia, Turkey   

Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania   
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda   

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

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

South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia   
South Australia, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Pumice and Hornblendite Properties

Know all about Pumice and Hornblendite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pumice and Hornblendite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Pumice is Vesicular whereas that of Hornblendite is Banded, Foliated, Massive. Pumice appears Vesicular and Hornblendite appears Foliated. The luster of Pumice is earthy while that of Hornblendite is vitreous to dull. Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas Hornblendite is available in black, brown, green, grey 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 Hornblendite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.

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