Home
Compare Rocks


Pyroxenite vs Serpentinite


Serpentinite vs Pyroxenite


Definition

Definition
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine  
A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
USA  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

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

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic  
Earthy  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  
Rough and Dull  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

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, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts  
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture  

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  
Jadeitite  

Features
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock  
Host Rock for Lead  

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.  
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene  
Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

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

Weathering
Yes  
No  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7  
3-5  

Grain Size
Coarse Grained  
Very fine-grained  

Fracture
Uneven  
Uneven  

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey  
White, Greenish White or Grey  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic  
Waxy and Dull  

Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2  
22
310.00 N/mm2  
2

Cleavage
-  
-  

Toughness
-  
7  

Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5  
2.79-3  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3  
2.5-3 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.95 kJ/Kg K  
9

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia  
India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea  

Africa
South Africa  
Ethiopia, Western Africa  

Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey  
England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom  

Others
Greenland  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada  

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela  
Colombia  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland  
Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia  

Definition >>
<< All

Pyroxenite vs Serpentinite 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 Serpentinite Reserves. Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine. A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.. 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 Serpentinite information and Pyroxenite vs Serpentinite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Pyroxenite vs Serpentinite 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 Serpentinite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Pyroxenite and Properties of Serpentinite. Learn more about Pyroxenite vs Serpentinite in the next section. The interior uses of Pyroxenite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Serpentinite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Pyroxenite and Serpentinite, 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 Serpentinite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement.

More about Pyroxenite and Serpentinite

Here you can know more about Pyroxenite and Serpentinite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Pyroxenite and Serpentinite 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 Serpentinite includes Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Pyroxenite vs Serpentinite, 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, Serpentinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Pyroxenite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Serpentinite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Pyroxenite vs Serpentinite. The hardness of Pyroxenite is 7 and that of Serpentinite is 3-5. The types of Pyroxenite are Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites whereas types of Serpentinite are Jadeitite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Pyroxenite and Serpentinite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Pyroxenite is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Serpentinite is 0.95 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 Serpentinite is heat resistant.

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks