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Pyroxenite vs Boninite


Boninite vs Pyroxenite


Definition

Definition
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine  
Boninite is a mafic extrusive rock which is high in magnesium and silica content, formed in fore-arc environments, typically during the early stages of subduction  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
Japan  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks  
From its occurrence in the Izu-Bonin arc south of Japan  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic  
Volcanic  

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic  
Aphanitic to Porphyritic  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  
Dull and Soft  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
-  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)  

Types

Types
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites  
Basalt  

Features
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock  
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, High Mg content, Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

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.  
Boninite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or existing rocks.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene  
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

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

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7  
7  

Grain Size
Coarse Grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Uneven  
Uneven  

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic  
Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2  
22
150.00 N/mm2  
22

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
1.1  

Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5  
2.5-2.8  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3  
-9999 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia  
-  

Africa
South Africa  
South Africa  

Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey  
England, Finland, United Kingdom  

Others
Greenland  
Antarctica, Greenland  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
USA  

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela  
Colombia, Uruguay  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland  
New Zealand, Western Australia  

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Pyroxenite vs Boninite 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 Pyroxenite and Boninite Reserves. Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine. Boninite is a mafic extrusive rock which is high in magnesium and silica content, formed in fore-arc environments, typically during the early stages of subduction. 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 Pyroxenite vs Boninite information and Pyroxenite vs Boninite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Pyroxenite vs Boninite 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. Pyroxenite vs Boninite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pyroxenite and Properties of Boninite. Learn more about Pyroxenite vs Boninite in the next section. The interior uses of Pyroxenite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Boninite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Pyroxenite and Boninite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Pyroxenite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Boninite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.

More about Pyroxenite and Boninite

Here you can know more about Pyroxenite and Boninite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pyroxenite and Boninite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Pyroxenite includes Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene and mineral content of Boninite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pyroxenite vs Boninite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Pyroxenite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas, Boninite is available in bluish - grey, brown, green, grey colors. Appearance of Pyroxenite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Boninite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pyroxenite vs Boninite. Hardness of Pyroxenite and Boninite is 7. The types of Pyroxenite are Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites whereas types of Boninite are Basalt. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pyroxenite and Boninite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Pyroxenite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Boninite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Pyroxenite is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Boninite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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