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Quartzite
Quartzite

Tonalite
Tonalite



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Quartzite
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Tonalite

Quartzite vs Tonalite

Definition

Definition

Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone
Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture

History

Origin

-
Tonale, Italy

Discoverer

Unknown
Warren Hamilton

Etymology

From quartz + -ite
From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1

Class

Metamorphic Rocks
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

-
Plutonic

Other Categories

Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Foliated, Granular
Phaneritic

Color

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

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Lustrous
Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, 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
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, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

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
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Types

Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite
Dacite

Features

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

Formation

Formation

Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.
When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.

Composition

Mineral Content

Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon

Compound Content

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

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-76-7
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Conchoidal

Streak

White
Bluish Black

Porosity

Less Porous
Very Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous
Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

115.00 N/mm2185.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

Indiscernible
-

Toughness

1.9
2.1

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.82.86-3
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Transparent to Translucent
Opaque

Density

2.32-2.42 g/cm32.73 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.75 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Africa

Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Egypt

Europe

England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom
Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey

Others

Greenland
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Bahamas, Canada, USA
USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia

Quartzite vs Tonalite 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 Tonalite Reserves. Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone. Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture. 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 Tonalite information and Quartzite vs Tonalite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Quartzite vs Tonalite 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 Tonalite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Quartzite and Properties of Tonalite. Learn more about Quartzite vs Tonalite in the next section. The interior uses of Quartzite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes whereas the interior uses of Tonalite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Quartzite and Tonalite, 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 Tonalite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Quartzite and Tonalite

Here you can know more about Quartzite and Tonalite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Quartzite and Tonalite 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 Tonalite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Quartzite vs Tonalite, 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, Tonalite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. Appearance of Quartzite is Lustrous and that of Tonalite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Quartzite vs Tonalite. Hardness of Quartzite and Tonalite is 6-7. The types of Quartzite are Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite whereas types of Tonalite are Dacite. 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 Tonalite is bluish black. The specific heat capacity of Quartzite is 0.75 kJ/Kg K and that of Tonalite is 0.92 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 Tonalite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.