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Pyroxenite vs Epidosite


Epidosite vs Pyroxenite


Definition

Definition
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine  
Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
-  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks  
-  

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  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic  
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

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, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone  
As Facing 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  
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  

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  
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites  
Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite  

Features
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock  
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained 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.  
Epidosite 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.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene  
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  

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, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
No  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7  
6  

Grain Size
Coarse Grained  
Fine to Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Uneven  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic  
-  

Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2  
22
160.00 N/mm2  
21

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
2.3  

Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5  
2.8-3  

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, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia  
India, Russia  

Africa
South Africa  
South Africa  

Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey  
Iceland  

Others
Greenland  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland  
-  

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Pyroxenite vs Epidosite 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 Epidosite Reserves. Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine. Epidosite is a highly altered epidote and quartz bearing rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. 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 Epidosite information and Pyroxenite vs Epidosite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Pyroxenite and Epidosite

Here you can know more about Pyroxenite and Epidosite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pyroxenite and Epidosite 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 Epidosite includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pyroxenite vs Epidosite, 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, Epidosite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Pyroxenite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Epidosite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pyroxenite vs Epidosite. The hardness of Pyroxenite is 7 and that of Epidosite is 6. The types of Pyroxenite are Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites whereas types of Epidosite are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pyroxenite is white, greenish white or grey while that of Epidosite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Pyroxenite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Epidosite 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 Epidosite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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