Definition
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
Aplite is a fine-grained granite composed mainly of feldspar and quartz
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
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
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Vitreous
Granular, Graphic
Color
Black, Dark Brown
Black, Grey, Orange, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Glassy
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Bridges, Paving Stone, Near Swimming Pools, Office Buildings, Resorts
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
As Dimension Stone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Curling, Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Small Sculptures, Tombstones
Types
Volcanic glass
Igneous rock
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
Available in lots of colors, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
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.
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
Feldspar, Olivine
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Fe, Mg
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Resinous
Dull to Pearly to Subvitreous
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
3.058 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
East Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden
Austria, Belgium, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Sardinia, Spain, Switzerland, The Czech Republic
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Tachylite 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. Tachylite vs Aplite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tachylite and Properties of Aplite. Learn more about Tachylite vs Aplite in the next section. The interior uses of Tachylite include Decorative aggregates 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 Tachylite and Aplite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tachylite in construction industry include Cutting tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers and that of Aplite include As dimension stone.
More about Tachylite and Aplite
Here you can know more about Tachylite and Aplite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tachylite and Aplite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tachylite includes Feldspar, Olivine 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 Tachylite vs Aplite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors whereas, Aplite is available in black, grey, orange, pink, white colors. Appearance of Tachylite is Glassy and that of Aplite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tachylite vs Aplite. The hardness of Tachylite is 5.5 and that of Aplite is 6.5. The types of Tachylite are Volcanic glass whereas types of Aplite are Igneous rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tachylite is vermilion while that of Aplite is white. The specific heat capacity of Tachylite is 0.56 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.Tachylite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant whereas Aplite is heat resistant, wear resistant.