Definition
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals
Anthracite is a type of sedimentary rock which is hard and is variety of coal that has high luster
Origin
Spain
Pennsylvania, U.S.
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex
From Greek anthrakites, from anthrax, anthrak meaning coal
Class
Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Volcanic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Vesicular
Amorphous, Glassy
Color
Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Vesicular
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Not Yet Used
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Not Yet Used
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Powder
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
Medical Industry
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Manufacture of Aspirins
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Not Yet Used
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
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
Types
Scoria
Semi-anthracite and Meta-anthracite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
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.
Anthracite forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. When plant debris dies and falls into the swamp, the standing water of the swamp protects it from decay.
Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals
Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Planar
Conchoidal
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
Black
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Non-Existent
Toughness
3
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.86
1.1-1.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm3
1.25-2.5 g/cm3
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
Pumice vs Anthracite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Pumice vs Anthracite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pumice and Properties of Anthracite. Learn more about Pumice vs Anthracite in the next section. The interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Anthracite include Not yet used. Due to some exceptional properties of Pumice and Anthracite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pumice in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks and that of Anthracite include Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel production.
More about Pumice and Anthracite
Here you can know more about Pumice and Anthracite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pumice and Anthracite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica and mineral content of Anthracite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pumice vs Anthracite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas, Anthracite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Pumice is Vesicular and that of Anthracite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pumice vs Anthracite. The hardness of Pumice is 6 and that of Anthracite is 1-1.5. The types of Pumice are Scoria whereas types of Anthracite are Semi-anthracite and Meta-anthracite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pumice is white, greenish white or grey while that of Anthracite is black. The specific heat capacity of Pumice is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Anthracite is 1.32 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Pumice is impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Anthracite is heat resistant, water resistant.