Taconite

Diabase

Taconite vs Diabase

Taconite

Diabase

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Definition

Taconite is a low-grade iron ore which belongs to sedimentary rock and containing about 27% iron and 51% silica

Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar

History

Origin

Western Australia, Minnesota

Germany

Discoverer

Newton Horace Winchell

Christian Leopold von Buch

Etymology

From the name of Taconic Mountains in New England

From Greek di + base

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded, Trellis

Aphanitic, Granular

Color

Red, Reddish Brown

Dark Grey to Black

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Vesicular

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

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

Other Architectural Uses

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

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones

Types

Iron formation

Dolerite

Features

Is one of the oldest rock

Smooth to touch

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Absent

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.

Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.

Composition

Mineral Content

Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz

Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine

Compound Content

Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5.5-67

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Black

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Earthy

Compressive Strength

190.00 N/mm²225.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.5

1.6

Specific Gravity

5-5.32.86-2.87

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

-9999 g/cm³2.7-3.3 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

3.20 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

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

India

Africa

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom

Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Antarctica, Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil

Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

Taconite vs Diabase Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Taconite and Diabase Reserves. Taconite is a low-grade iron ore which belongs to sedimentary rock and containing about 27% iron and 51% silica. Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Taconite vs Diabase information and Taconite vs Diabase characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Taconite vs Diabase 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. Taconite vs Diabase characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Taconite and Properties of Diabase. Learn more about Taconite vs Diabase in the next section. The interior uses of Taconite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Diabase include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Taconite and Diabase, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Taconite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills. and that of Diabase include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Taconite and Diabase

Here you can know more about Taconite and Diabase. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Taconite and Diabase consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Taconite includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz and mineral content of Diabase includes Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Taconite vs Diabase, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Taconite is available in red, reddish brown colors whereas, Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors. Appearance of Taconite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Diabase is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Taconite vs Diabase. The hardness of Taconite is 5.5-6 and that of Diabase is 7. The types of Taconite are Iron formation whereas types of Diabase are Dolerite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Taconite is white while that of Diabase is black. The specific heat capacity of Taconite is 3.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Diabase 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.Taconite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Diabase is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.