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Pyroxenite vs Charnockite


Charnockite vs Pyroxenite


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
-  
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
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

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
-  
-  

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
-  
-  

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.  
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
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
Burial 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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7  
6-7  

Grain Size
Coarse Grained  
Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Uneven  
-  

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Very Less Porous  

Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic  
-  

Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2  
22
190.00 N/mm2  
15

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5  
-9999  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3  
2.6 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, 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  
-  

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  

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Pyroxenite vs Charnockite 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 Charnockite Reserves. 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. 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 Charnockite information and Pyroxenite vs Charnockite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Pyroxenite vs Charnockite 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 Charnockite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pyroxenite and Properties of Charnockite. Learn more about Pyroxenite vs Charnockite in the next section. The interior uses of Pyroxenite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Charnockite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Pyroxenite and Charnockite, 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 Charnockite include As dimension stone.

More about Pyroxenite and Charnockite

Here you can know more about Pyroxenite and Charnockite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pyroxenite and Charnockite 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 Charnockite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pyroxenite vs Charnockite, 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, Charnockite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Pyroxenite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Charnockite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pyroxenite vs Charnockite. The hardness of Pyroxenite is 7 and that of Charnockite is 6-7. The types of Pyroxenite are Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites whereas types of Charnockite are Enderbite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pyroxenite and Charnockite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Pyroxenite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Charnockite 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 Charnockite is heat resistant, wear resistant.

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