Definition
Definition
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine
Charnockite is a variety of granite containing minerals like orthopyroxene, quartz, and feldspar
History
Origin
Unknown
Tamil Nadu, India
Discoverer
Unknown
T. H. Holland
Etymology
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks
From Job Charnock, an administtrator of East India Company
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic
Granular
Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Veined or Pebbled
Uses
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Resorts
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
As Dimension Stone
Medical Industry
Not Available
Not Available
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Tombstones
Types
Types
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites
Enderbite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not 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.
Charnockite is an intrusive igneous rock which is very hard and is formed due to weathering of existing rocks.
Composition
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Properties
Physical Properties
Hardness
76-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Not Available
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Not Available
Compressive Strength
NANA
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Not Available
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5Not Available
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm32.6 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
NANA
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Reserves
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
India
Africa
South Africa
East Africa, Ethiopia, Madagascar, Morocco, Mozambique
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Albania, Romania, Scotland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Not Available
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
Central Australia, Western Australia