Pumice

Tephrite

Pumice and Tephrite

Pumice

Tephrite

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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

Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock

History

Origin

Spain

Germany

Discoverer

Unknown

Van Tooren

Etymology

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

From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Vesicular

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

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

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Vesicular

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing 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

Landscaping

Medical Industry

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

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, 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

Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner

Types

Scoria

Igneous rock

Features

Host Rock for Lead

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.

Tephrite 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

Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

66.5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Planar

Uneven

Streak

White, Greenish White or Grey

Bluish Black

Porosity

Highly Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Earthy

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

51.20 N/mm²90.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Crenulation and Pervasive

Toughness

2.4

Specific Gravity

2.862.86

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

0.25-0.3 g/cm³2.8-2.9 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.87 kJ/Kg K0.92 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

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

Namibia, Uganda

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

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

USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Pumice and Tephrite Properties

Know all about Pumice and Tephrite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pumice and Tephrite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Pumice is Vesicular whereas that of Tephrite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Pumice appears Vesicular and Tephrite appears Vesicular. The luster of Pumice is earthy while that of Tephrite is subvitreous to dull. Pumice is available in beige, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas Tephrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, 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 Tephrite are production of lime, soil conditioner.