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Taconite and Essexite 


Essexite  and Taconite


Definition

Definition
Taconite is a low-grade iron ore which belongs to sedimentary rock and containing about 27% iron and 51% silica   
Essexite which is also known as nepheline monzogabbro, is a dark gray or black holocrystalline plutonic Iigneous Rock   

History
  
  

Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota   
USA   

Discoverer
Newton Horace Winchell   
Unknown   

Etymology
From the name of Taconic Mountains in New England   
From the locality in Essex County, Massachusetts,US   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Plutonic   

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

Texture

Texture
Banded, Trellis   
Granular   

Color
Red, Reddish Brown   
Dark Grey to Black   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   
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, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Is one of the oldest rock   
Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Taconite is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. When the river reaches a lake or sea, its load of transported rocks settles or deposits at the bottom of sea or lake.   
Essexite is a type of igneous rock, which is usually dark grey to black plutonic rock. For the formation of essexite, suitable magma with exact composition of K, Ba, Rb, Cs, Sr should be produced.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz   
Augite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Nepheline, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   

Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, Ba, Ca, Cs, Potassium, Rb, Sodium, Sr   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6   
7   

Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
Black   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Not Available   

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Not Available   

Toughness
1.5   
1.6   

Specific Gravity
5-5.3   
Not Available   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
3.20 kJ/Kg K   
1
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam   
India, Russia   

Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   
South Africa   

Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom   
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   

Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Bolivia, Brazil   
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   
New Zealand, Queensland   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Taconite and Essexite  Properties

Know all about Taconite and Essexite  properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Taconite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Essexite  belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Taconite is Banded, Trellis whereas that of Essexite  is Granular. Taconite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Essexite  appears Banded. The luster of Taconite is earthy while that of Essexite  is not available. Taconite is available in red, reddish brown colors whereas Essexite  is available in dark grey to black colors. The commercial uses of Taconite are as a touchstone, cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Essexite  are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones.

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