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Tachylite and Websterite


Websterite and Tachylite


Definition

Definition
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt   
Websterite is ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that consists of roughly equal proportions of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene. It is a special type of pyroxenite.   

History
  
  

Origin
Iceland   
Webster, North Carolina   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting   
From the town of Webster located in North Carolina   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Plutonic   

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

Texture

Texture
Vitreous   
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic   

Color
Black, Dark Brown   
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Appearance
Glassy   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, NA   
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Tachylite 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.   
Websterite can be formed as cumulates in ultramafic intrusions by accumulation of pyroxene crystals at the base of the lava chamber.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Feldspar, Olivine   
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene   

Compound Content
Fe, Mg   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   

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, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5   
7   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Uneven   

Streak
Vermilion   
White, Greenish White or Grey   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Resinous   
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic   

Compressive Strength
206.00 N/mm2   
8
Not Available   

Cleavage
Not Available   
Irregular   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.4   
3.2-3.5   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
3.058 g/cm3   
3.1-3.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.56 kJ/Kg K   
22
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea   
India, Russia   

Africa
East Africa   
South Africa   

Europe
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden   
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   

Others
Hawaii Islands   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Victoria   
New Zealand, Queensland   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Tachylite and Websterite Properties

Know all about Tachylite and Websterite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Tachylite and Websterite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Tachylite is Vitreous whereas that of Websterite is Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic. Tachylite appears Glassy and Websterite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Tachylite is resinous while that of Websterite is dull to vitreous to submetallic. Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors whereas Websterite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors. The commercial uses of Tachylite are cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Websterite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones.

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