Pumice

Travertine

Pumice and Travertine

Pumice

Travertine

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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

Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters

History

Origin

Spain

Italy

Discoverer

Unknown

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Etymology

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

From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Vesicular

Banded

Color

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

Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Vesicular

Fibrous

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

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, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

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

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, 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, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery

Types

Scoria

Thermal Travertine and Tufa

Features

Host Rock for Lead

Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

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.

Travertine is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock which then undergo sedimentation. They are then subjected to high temperature and pressure hence forming travertine rock.

Composition

Mineral Content

Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Compound Content

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

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Impact 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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

63-4

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Planar

Splintery

Streak

White, Greenish White or Grey

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Earthy

Dull to Pearly

Compressive Strength

51.20 N/mm²80.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.861.68

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

0.25-0.3 g/cm³2.71 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.87 kJ/Kg K1.09 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

China, Russia

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

Europe

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

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

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Pumice and Travertine Properties

Know all about Pumice and Travertine properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pumice belongs to Igneous Rocks while Travertine belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Pumice is Vesicular whereas that of Travertine is Banded. Pumice appears Vesicular and Travertine appears Fibrous. The luster of Pumice is earthy while that of Travertine is dull to pearly. Pumice is available in beige, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow 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 Travertine are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, paper industry, pottery.