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Rhyolite and Diatomite


Diatomite and Rhyolite


Definition

Definition
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica   
Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth   

History
  
  

Origin
North America   
Germany   

Discoverer
Ferdinand von Richthofen   
Unknown   

Etymology
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone   
From diatom + -ite1   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic   
Clastic or Non-Clastic   

Color
Grey, White, Light Black   
Grey, White, Yellow   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Non-Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Banded   
Soft   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives   
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry   
Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper   

Types

Types
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.   
Not Available   

Features
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors   
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.   
Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand   

Compound Content
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium   
Ca, NaCl, CaO   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7   
1   

Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Sub-conchoidal   
Not Available   

Streak
Colorless   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
140.00 N/mm2   
15
Not Available   

Cleavage
Not Available   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
2   
1   

Specific Gravity
2.65-2.67   
2.3-2.4   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.4-2.6 g/cm3   
2.49-2.51 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.90 kJ/Kg K   
12

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India   
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam   

Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe   

Europe
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain   
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   
Colombia   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia   
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Rhyolite and Diatomite Properties

Know all about Rhyolite and Diatomite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Rhyolite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Diatomite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Rhyolite is Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic whereas that of Diatomite is Clastic or Non-Clastic. Rhyolite appears Banded and Diatomite appears Soft. The luster of Rhyolite is earthy while that of Diatomite is dull. Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors whereas Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Rhyolite are gemstone, laboratory bench tops, jewelry and that of Diatomite are alumina refineries, animal feed filler, as a feed additive for livestock, creating artwork, drawing on blackboards, fire resistant, gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, in aquifers, soil conditioner, to ignite fire, used as a filter medium, used as an insecticide, whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper.

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