Definition
Definition
Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone
Minette is a variety of Lamprophyre and is porphyritic alkaline igneous rock which is mainly dominated by biotite and potassic feldspar
History
Origin
Unknown
Unknown
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From quartz + -ite
From French mine ore, mine + ette
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Texture
Foliated, Granular
Porphyritic
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Lustrous
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Uses
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
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, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Not Available
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
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
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Types
Not Available
Minette, Alnoite, Camptonite, Monchiquite, Fourchite, Vogesite, Appinite and Spessartite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Available
Not Available
Sculpture
Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Available
Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Used
Fossils
Absent
Absent
Formation
Formation
Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.
Minette formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface at around 150 to 450 kms, and are erupted rapidly and violently.
Composition
Mineral Content
Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Amphibole, Carbonate, Garnet, Micas, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Properties
Physical Properties
Hardness
6-75-6
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Medium Grained
Fine to Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Very Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
115.00 N/mm2NA
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Indiscernible
Conchoidal
Toughness
1.9
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.82.86-2.87
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.32-2.42 g/cm32.95-2.96 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.75 kJ/Kg KNA
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Reserves
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Russia
Africa
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa
Europe
England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Bahamas, Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia