Definition
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt
Phonolite is an uncommon extrusive igneous rock volcanic rock of intermediate chemical composition between felsic and mafic
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting
From the Greek meaning sounding stone because of the metallic sound it produces if an unfractured plate is hit
Class
Igneous Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Vitreous
Granular
Color
Black, Dark Brown
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Glassy
Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Volcanic glass
Kenyte
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch
Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, 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.
Phonolite are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.
Mineral Content
Feldspar, Olivine
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite
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
Contact 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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal to Uneven
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Resinous
Greasy to Dull
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
3.058 g/cm3
2.6 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea
Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam
Africa
East Africa
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden
Andorra, Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden
Others
Hawaii Islands
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
-
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Victoria
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia
Tachylite vs Phonolite 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 Phonolite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tachylite and Properties of Phonolite. Learn more about Tachylite vs Phonolite in the next section. The interior uses of Tachylite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Phonolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Tachylite and Phonolite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tachylite in construction industry include Cutting tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers and that of Phonolite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Production of glass and ceramics.
More about Tachylite and Phonolite
Here you can know more about Tachylite and Phonolite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tachylite and Phonolite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tachylite includes Feldspar, Olivine and mineral content of Phonolite includes Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tachylite vs Phonolite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors whereas, Phonolite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Tachylite is Glassy and that of Phonolite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tachylite vs Phonolite. The hardness of Tachylite is 5.5 and that of Phonolite is 5.5-6. The types of Tachylite are Volcanic glass whereas types of Phonolite are Kenyte. 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 Phonolite is white. The specific heat capacity of Tachylite is 0.56 kJ/Kg K and that of Phonolite is 0.84 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 Phonolite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.