Definition
Rhomb-porphyry is a porphyritic igneous rock with abundant wedge or lens shaped anorthoclase or feldspar phenocrysts
Aplite is a fine-grained granite composed mainly of feldspar and quartz
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin term that means purple
From German Aplit, from Greek haploos simple + -ite
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Granular, Graphic
Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As Dimension Stone
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Metallurgical Flux, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Small Sculptures, Tombstones
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Available in lots of colors, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Formation
Rhomb-porphyry is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Aplites belong to intrusive igneous rocks which are mostly quart and alkali feldspar and are formed from residual eutectic granitic liquids and represent the final crystallization products of magma.
Mineral Content
Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
CaO, Cl, MgO
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Impact Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Not Available
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous
Cleavage
Perfect
Not Available
Toughness
2.7
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.6
Transparency
Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Not Yet Found
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Not Yet Found
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Bulgaria
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic, Venezuela
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Rhomb Porphyry vs Aplite 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. Rhomb Porphyry vs Aplite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhomb Porphyry and Properties of Aplite. Learn more about Rhomb Porphyry vs Aplite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhomb Porphyry include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Aplite include Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhomb Porphyry and Aplite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Rhomb Porphyry in construction industry include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Aplite include As dimension stone.
More about Rhomb Porphyry and Aplite
Here you can know more about Rhomb Porphyry and Aplite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhomb Porphyry and Aplite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhomb Porphyry includes Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Aplite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhomb Porphyry vs Aplite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Rhomb Porphyry is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas, Aplite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Rhomb Porphyry is Rough and that of Aplite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhomb Porphyry vs Aplite. The hardness of Rhomb Porphyry is 5-5.5 and that of Aplite is 6.5. The types of Rhomb Porphyry are Not Available whereas types of Aplite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Rhomb Porphyry and Aplite is white. The specific heat capacity of Rhomb Porphyry is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Aplite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Rhomb Porphyry is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Aplite is heat resistant, wear resistant.