Definition
Taconite is a low-grade iron ore which belongs to sedimentary rock and containing about 27% iron and 51% silica
Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix
Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota
Egypt
Discoverer
Newton Horace Winchell
Unknown
Etymology
From the name of Taconic Mountains in New England
From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Trellis
Porphyritic
Color
Red, Reddish Brown
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Construction Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry
Types
Not Available
Rhomb Porphyry
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Not Used
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.
Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.
Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Not Registered
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Irregular
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Cleavage
Imperfect
Imperfect
Specific Gravity
5-5.3
2.5-4
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.5-2.52 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Taconite vs Porphyry 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 Porphyry characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Taconite and Properties of Porphyry. Learn more about Taconite vs Porphyry in the next section. The interior uses of Taconite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Porphyry include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Taconite and Porphyry, 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 Porphyry include Construction aggregate.
More about Taconite and Porphyry
Here you can know more about Taconite and Porphyry. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Taconite and Porphyry consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Taconite includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz and mineral content of Porphyry includes Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Taconite vs Porphyry, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Taconite is available in red, reddish brown colors whereas, Porphyry is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, red, rust, white colors. Appearance of Taconite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Porphyry is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Taconite vs Porphyry. The hardness of Taconite is 5.5-6 and that of Porphyry is 6-7. The types of Taconite are Not Available whereas types of Porphyry are Rhomb Porphyry. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Taconite and Porphyry is white. The specific heat capacity of Taconite is 3.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Porphyry is Not Available. 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 Porphyry is heat resistant, impact resistant.