Pumice

Porphyry

Pumice and Porphyry

Pumice

Porphyry

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Definition

Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals

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

History

Origin

Spain

Egypt

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex

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

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Vesicular

Porphyritic

Color

Beige, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey

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

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Vesicular

Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

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

Construction Aggregate

Medical Industry

As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

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

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Types

Scoria

Rhomb Porphyry

Features

Host Rock for Lead

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

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

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.

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.

Composition

Mineral Content

Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica

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

Compound Content

Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

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

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

66-7

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Planar

Irregular

Streak

White, Greenish White or Grey

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Earthy

Dull

Compressive Strength

51.20 N/mm²150.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

1.7

Specific Gravity

2.862.5-4

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

0.25-0.3 g/cm³2.5-2.52 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.87 kJ/Kg K0.71 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

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

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

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

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

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

Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Pumice and Porphyry Properties

Know all about Pumice and Porphyry properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pumice and Porphyry belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Pumice is Vesicular whereas that of Porphyry is Porphyritic. Pumice appears Vesicular and Porphyry appears Dull. The luster of Pumice is earthy while that of Porphyry is dull. Pumice is available in beige, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas Porphyry is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, rust, 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 Porphyry are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.