Quartzite

Pumice

Quartzite vs Pumice

Quartzite

Pumice

Add ⊕

1 Definition

1.1 Definition

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

Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Unknown

Spain

1.2.2 Discoverer

Unknown

1.3 Etymology

From quartz + -ite

From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex

1.4 Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Not Applicable

Volcanic

1.6 Other Categories

Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Foliated, Granular

Vesicular

2.2 Color

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

Beige, Colourless, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Lustrous

Vesicular

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

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

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Powder

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 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, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 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

As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums

4 Types

4.1 Types

Not Available

Scoria

4.2 Features

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Host Rock for Lead

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

Not Yet Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Not Applicable

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

Not Yet Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Not Applicable

4.3.5 Pictographs

Not Used

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

Not Yet Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 Formation

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

Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

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

Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica

5.2.2 Compound Content

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

Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

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

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

6-76

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Medium Grained

Fine Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Planar

6.1.4 Streak

White

White, Greenish White or Grey

6.1.5 Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Vitreous

Earthy

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

115.00 N/mm²51.20 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Indiscernible

Perfect

6.1.9 Toughness

1.9

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.6-2.82.86

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Transparent to Translucent

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.32-2.42 g/cm³0.25-0.3 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

0.75 kJ/Kg K0.87 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

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

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

7.1.2 Africa

Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

7.1.3 Europe

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

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

7.1.4 Others

Greenland

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Bahamas, Canada, USA

Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA

7.2.2 South America

Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

Quartzite vs Pumice 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 Quartzite and Pumice Reserves. Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone. Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals. 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 Quartzite vs Pumice information and Quartzite vs Pumice characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Metamorphic Rocks » More

Quartzite vs Gossan

Quartzite vs Granulite

Quartzite vs Eclogite

» More

More Compare Metamorphic Rocks

Quartzite vs Pumice 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. Quartzite vs Pumice characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Quartzite and Properties of Pumice. Learn more about Quartzite vs Pumice in the next section. The interior uses of Quartzite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes whereas the interior uses of Pumice include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Quartzite and Pumice, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Quartzite in construction industry include 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 and that of Pumice include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks.

More about Quartzite and Pumice

Here you can know more about Quartzite and Pumice. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Quartzite and Pumice consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Quartzite includes Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz and mineral content of Pumice includes Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Quartzite vs Pumice, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow colors whereas, Pumice is available in beige, colourless, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors. Appearance of Quartzite is Lustrous and that of Pumice is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Quartzite vs Pumice. The hardness of Quartzite is 6-7 and that of Pumice is 6. The types of Quartzite are Not Available whereas types of Pumice are Scoria. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Quartzite is white while that of Pumice is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Quartzite is 0.75 kJ/Kg K and that of Pumice is 0.87 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Quartzite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Pumice is impact resistant, pressure resistant.