Quartzite

Breccia

Quartzite and Breccia

Quartzite

Breccia

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Definition

Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone

Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material

History

Origin

England

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From quartz + -ite

From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Foliated, Granular

Brecciated, Clastic

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow

Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Lustrous

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As armour rock for sea walls, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, In aquifers, Laboratory bench tops, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Types

Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite

Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia

Features

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.

Breccia is a clastic sedimentary rock which is composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock which are cemented together by a fine-grained matrix and it forms where broken, angular fragments of rock or mineral debris accumulate.

Composition

Mineral Content

Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-77

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium Grained

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Dull to Pearly

Compressive Strength

115.00 N/mm²180.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Indiscernible

Toughness

1.9

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.82.86-2.87

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Transparent to Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.32-2.42 g/cm³0 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.75 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan

Africa

Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Bahamas, Canada, USA

Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand

All about Quartzite and Breccia Properties

Know all about Quartzite and Breccia properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Quartzite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Breccia belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Quartzite is Foliated, Granular whereas that of Breccia is Brecciated, Clastic. Quartzite appears Lustrous and Breccia appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Quartzite is vitreous while that of Breccia is dull to pearly. Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow colors whereas Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Quartzite are an oil and gas reservoir, as armour rock for sea walls, cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, in aquifers, laboratory bench tops, petroleum reservoirs, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones, used in aquariums and that of Breccia are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.