Home
Compare Rocks


Pumice vs Quartzite


Quartzite vs Pumice


Definition

Definition
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals  
Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone  

History
  
  

Origin
Spain  
-  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex  
From quartz + -ite  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Vesicular  
Foliated, Granular  

Color
Beige, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey  
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Appearance
Vesicular  
Lustrous  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone  
As Building Stone, As Facing 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  
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  

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

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts  
Artifacts, Jewellery, 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  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As armour rock for sea walls, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, In aquifers, Laboratory bench tops, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums  

Types

Types
Scoria  
Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite  

Features
Host Rock for Lead  
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

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.  
Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica  
Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz  

Compound Content
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6  
6-7  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Medium Grained  

Fracture
Planar  
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal  

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey  
White  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Earthy  
Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
51.20 N/mm2  
38
115.00 N/mm2  
27

Cleavage
Perfect  
Indiscernible  

Toughness
3  
1.9  

Specific Gravity
2.86  
2.6-2.8  

Transparency
Opaque  
Transparent to Translucent  

Density
0.25-0.3 g/cm3  
2.32-2.42 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K  
14
0.75 kJ/Kg K  
20

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia  
China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey  

Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania  
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe  

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey  
England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
Greenland  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

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

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia  
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia  

Definition >>
<< All

Pumice vs Quartzite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Pumice and Quartzite Reserves. Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals. Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Pumice vs Quartzite information and Pumice vs Quartzite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Pumice vs Quartzite 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 Quartzite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pumice and Properties of Quartzite. Learn more about Pumice vs Quartzite in the next section. The interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Quartzite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Pumice and Quartzite, 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 Quartzite include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of glass and ceramics, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Pumice and Quartzite

Here you can know more about Pumice and Quartzite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pumice and Quartzite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica and mineral content of Quartzite includes Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pumice vs Quartzite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pumice is available in beige, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors whereas, Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Pumice is Vesicular and that of Quartzite is Lustrous. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pumice vs Quartzite. The hardness of Pumice is 6 and that of Quartzite is 6-7. The types of Pumice are Scoria whereas types of Quartzite are Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pumice and Quartzite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Pumice is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Quartzite is 0.75 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 Quartzite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks