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Pumice and Whiteschist


Whiteschist 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   
Whiteschist is an uncommon rock type belonging to a class of metamorphic rock, this is formed at high-ultra-high pressures   

History
  
  

Origin
Spain   
Tasmania   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex   
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Vesicular   
Foliated   

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

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Vesicular   
Banded and Foilated   

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   
for Road Aggregate   

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, 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   
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Production of Lime   

Types

Types
Scoria   
Not Available   

Features
Host Rock for Lead   
High percentage of mica, Host Rock for Lead   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
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.   
Whiteschist is formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica   
Carbonate, Coesite, Quartz, Silica   

Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide   
CaO, Mg, MgO, Silicon 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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6   
1.5   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine to Medium Grained   

Fracture
Planar   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Subvitreous to Dull   

Compressive Strength
51.20 N/mm2   
26
200.00 N/mm2   
10

Cleavage
Perfect   
Perfect   

Toughness
3   
1   

Specific Gravity
2.86   
2.86   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm3   
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K   
14
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   

Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania   
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

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

South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Pumice and Whiteschist Properties

Know all about Pumice and Whiteschist properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pumice belongs to Igneous Rocks while Whiteschist belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Pumice is Vesicular whereas that of Whiteschist is Foliated. Pumice appears Vesicular and Whiteschist appears Banded and Foilated. The luster of Pumice is earthy while that of Whiteschist is subvitreous to dull. Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas Whiteschist is available in colourless, 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 Whiteschist are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, production of lime.

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