×

Rhyolite
Rhyolite

Quartzite
Quartzite



ADD
Compare
X
Rhyolite
X
Quartzite

Rhyolite vs Quartzite

Definition

Definition

Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone

History

Origin

North America
-

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Richthofen
Unknown

Etymology

From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From quartz + -ite

Class

Igneous Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic
-

Other Categories

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

Texture

Texture

Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Foliated, Granular

Color

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

Maintenance

More
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Banded
Lustrous

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

-
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
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

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
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

Types

Types

Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite

Features

Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Absent

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

Composition

Mineral Content

Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz

Compound Content

Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal 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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-76-7
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained
Medium Grained

Fracture

Sub-conchoidal
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Streak

-
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Earthy
Vitreous

Compressive Strength

140.00 N/mm2115.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
Indiscernible

Toughness

2
1.9

Specific Gravity

2.65-2.672.6-2.8
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Transparent to Translucent

Density

2.4-2.6 g/cm32.32-2.42 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.71 kJ/Kg K0.75 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Africa

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe

Europe

Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain
England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom

Others

-
Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
Bahamas, Canada, USA

South America

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Rhyolite vs Quartzite 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 Rhyolite and Quartzite Reserves. Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica. Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone. 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 Rhyolite vs Quartzite information and Rhyolite vs Quartzite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Rhyolite vs Quartzite 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. Rhyolite vs Quartzite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Quartzite. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Quartzite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Quartzite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Quartzite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Rhyolite in construction industry include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives and that of Quartzite 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.

More about Rhyolite and Quartzite

Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Quartzite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Quartzite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Quartzite includes Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Quartzite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors whereas, Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Quartzite is Lustrous. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Quartzite. Hardness of Rhyolite and Quartzite is 6-7. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Quartzite are Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Rhyolite is while that of Quartzite is white. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Quartzite is 0.75 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Quartzite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.