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Pyroxenite and Ignimbrite


Ignimbrite and Pyroxenite


Definition

Definition
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine   
Ignimbrite is a volcanic rock consisting mainly of pumice fragments, formed by the consolidation of material deposited by pyroclastic flows   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
New Zealand   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Patrick Marshall   

Etymology
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks   
From Latin ignis fire + imber, imbr- shower of rain, storm cloud + -ite   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic   
Aphanitic   

Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey   
Beige, Black, Brown, Grey, Pink, White   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration, Kitchens   
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites   
Not Available   

Features
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock   
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust   

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
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Pyroxenites are ultramafic igneous rocks which are made up of minerals of the pyroxene group, such as augite and diopside, hypersthene, bronzite or enstatite.   
Ignimbrites are formed from very poorly sorted mixture of volcanic ash or tuff and pumice lapilli, commonly with scattered lithic fragments.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene   
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide   
Ca, NaCl   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
4-6   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Uneven   

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic   
Vitreous to Dull   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
243.80 N/mm2   
5

Cleavage
Irregular   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5   
2.73   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3   
1-1.8 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.20 kJ/Kg K   
25

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen   

Africa
South Africa   
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Chad, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda   

Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland   
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA   

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland   
Central Australia, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Pyroxenite and Ignimbrite Properties

Know all about Pyroxenite and Ignimbrite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pyroxenite and Ignimbrite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Pyroxenite is Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic whereas that of Ignimbrite is Aphanitic. Pyroxenite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Ignimbrite appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. The luster of Pyroxenite is dull to vitreous to submetallic while that of Ignimbrite is vitreous to dull. Pyroxenite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas Ignimbrite is available in beige, black, brown, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Pyroxenite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones and that of Ignimbrite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.

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