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Taconite and Pumice


Pumice and Taconite


Definition

Definition
Taconite is a low-grade iron ore which belongs to sedimentary rock and containing about 27% iron and 51% silica  
Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals  

History
  
  

Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota  
Spain  

Discoverer
Newton Horace Winchell  
Unknown  

Etymology
From the name of Taconic Mountains in New England  
From Old French pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
Volcanic  

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

Texture

Texture
Banded, Trellis  
Vesicular  

Color
Red, Reddish Brown  
Beige, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  
Vesicular  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing, Powder  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks  

Medical Industry
-  
As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums  

Types

Types
Iron formation  
Scoria  

Features
Is one of the oldest rock  
Host Rock for Lead  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

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.   
Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz  
Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica  

Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide  
Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6  
6  

Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal  
Planar  

Streak
White  
White, Greenish White or Grey  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Earthy  
Earthy  

Compressive Strength
190.00 N/mm2  
15
51.20 N/mm2  
38

Cleavage
-  
Perfect  

Toughness
1.5  
3  

Specific Gravity
5-5.3  
2.86  

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
-9999 g/cm3  
0.25-0.3 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
3.20 kJ/Kg K  
1
0.87 kJ/Kg K  
14

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

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

Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania  
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania  

Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom  
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey  

Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA  
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA  

South America
Bolivia, Brazil  
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Taconite and Pumice Properties

Know all about Taconite and Pumice properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Taconite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Pumice belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Taconite is Banded, Trellis whereas that of Pumice is Vesicular. Taconite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Pumice appears Vesicular. The luster of Taconite and Pumice is earthy. Taconite is available in red, reddish brown colors whereas Pumice is available in beige, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors. The commercial uses of Taconite are as a touchstone, cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Pumice are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, as an abrasive in pencil erasers, fine abrasive used for polishing, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, used in aquariums.

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