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Taconite and Tuff


Tuff and Taconite


Definition

Definition
Taconite is a low-grade iron ore which belongs to sedimentary rock and containing about 27% iron and 51% silica   
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption   

History
  
  

Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota   
Italy   

Discoverer
Newton Horace Winchell   
Unknown   

Etymology
From the name of Taconic Mountains in New England   
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

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

Texture

Texture
Banded, Trellis   
Clastic, Pyroclastic   

Color
Red, Reddish Brown   
Brown, Grey, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, 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.   
Building houses or walls, Construction 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   
Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.   

Features
Is one of the oldest rock   
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
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.   
Tuff is formed when large masses of ash and sand which are mixed with hot gases are ejected by a volcano and avalanche rapidly down its slopes.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz   
Calcite, Chlorite   

Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional 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   
4-6   

Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   
Uneven   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Vitreous to Dull   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
243.80 N/mm2   
5

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Not Available   

Toughness
1.5   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
5-5.3   
2.73   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
1-1.8 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
3.20 kJ/Kg K   
1
0.20 kJ/Kg K   
25

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam   
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen   

Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda   

Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom   
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA   

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   
Central Australia, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Taconite and Tuff Properties

Know all about Taconite and Tuff properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Taconite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Tuff belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Taconite is Banded, Trellis whereas that of Tuff is Clastic, Pyroclastic. Taconite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Tuff appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated. The luster of Taconite is earthy while that of Tuff is vitreous to dull. Taconite is available in red, reddish brown colors whereas Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Taconite and Tuff are as a touchstone, cemetery markers, creating artwork.

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