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Pyrolite and Amphibolite


Amphibolite and Pyrolite


Definition

Definition
Pyrolite is an igneous rock consisting of about three parts of peridotite and one part of basalt   
Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase   

History
  
  

Origin
Pike County, U.S   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Alexandre Brongniart   

Etymology
From the chemical and mineralogical composition of the upper mantle of the Earth   
From Amphibole + -ite   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Phaneritic   
Banded, Foliated, Massive   

Color
Dark Greenish - Grey   
Black, Brown, Green, Grey   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Appearance
Rough and Shiny   
Foliated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Dunite, Wehrlite, Harzburgite, Lherzolite   
Hornblendite   

Features
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   
Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Pyrolite 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.   
Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite   

Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical 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, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6   
6-7   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Medium to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Irregular   
Irregular to Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Shiny   
Vitreous to Dull   

Compressive Strength
107.55 N/mm2   
19
Not Available   

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Irregular   

Toughness
2.1   
2.3   

Specific Gravity
3-3.01   
2.5   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
3.1-3.4 g/cm3   
2.85-3.07 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
1.25 kJ/Kg K   
6
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey   
Russia, Turkey   

Africa
Morocco, South Africa   
Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda   

Europe
Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Kazakhstan, Netherlands, Norway, Spain, Switzerland, Venezuela   
Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia   
South Australia, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Pyrolite and Amphibolite Properties

Know all about Pyrolite and Amphibolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pyrolite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Amphibolite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Pyrolite is Phaneritic whereas that of Amphibolite is Banded, Foliated, Massive. Pyrolite appears Rough and Shiny and Amphibolite appears Foliated. The luster of Pyrolite is shiny while that of Amphibolite is vitreous to dull. Pyrolite is available in dark greenish - grey colors whereas Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Pyrolite are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, source of chromite, platinum, nickel and garnet, source of diamonds and that of Amphibolite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.

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