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Tephrite and Breccia


Breccia and Tephrite


Definition

Definition
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock   
Breccia is a rock consisting of angular fragments of stones which are cemented by finer calcareous material   

History
  
  

Origin
Germany   
England   

Discoverer
Van Tooren   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn   
From Italian, literally gravel, Germanic origin and related to break   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic   
Brecciated, Clastic   

Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White   
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Orange, Pink, Purple, Red, Rust, White, Yellow   

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
Vesicular   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Landscaping   
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner   
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Collapse Breccia, Fault Breccia, Flow Breccia, Pyroclastic Breccia, Igneous Breccia and Impact Breccia   

Features
Host Rock for Lead   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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
Absent   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Tephrite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.   
Breccia is a clastic sedimentary rock which is composed of broken fragments of minerals or rock which are cemented together by a fine-grained matrix and it forms where broken, angular fragments of rock or mineral debris accumulate.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Phosphates, Quartz, Silica   

Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6.5   
7   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Medium to Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Uneven   

Streak
Bluish Black   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull   
Dull to Pearly   

Compressive Strength
90.00 N/mm2   
22
Not Available   

Cleavage
Crenulation and Pervasive   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
2.4   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.86   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   
0 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found   
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, South Korea, Uzbekistan   

Africa
Namibia, Uganda   
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain   
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Barbados, Canada, Mexico, Panama, USA   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Tephrite and Breccia Properties

Know all about Tephrite and Breccia properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Tephrite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Breccia belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Tephrite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic whereas that of Breccia is Brecciated, Clastic. Tephrite appears Vesicular and Breccia appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Tephrite is subvitreous to dull while that of Breccia is dull to pearly. Tephrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors whereas Breccia is available in beige, black, blue, brown, buff, green, grey, orange, pink, purple, red, rust, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Tephrite are production of lime, soil conditioner and that of Breccia are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry.

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