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Tephrite and Itacolumite


Itacolumite and Tephrite


Definition

Definition
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock   
A yellow sandstone which is flexible when cut into thin strips   

History
  
  

Origin
Germany   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Van Tooren   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn   
From the name of a mountain range where it was found; Itacolumi mountain in Brazil   

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, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic   
Clastic, Granular, Rough   

Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White   
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Vesicular   
Rough   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Landscaping   
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Host Rock for Lead   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

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.   
Itacolumite is a sedimentary rock which forms from cemented sand-sized clasts and is a type of sandstone.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6.5   
6-7   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Coarse or Fine   

Fracture
Uneven   
Conchoidal   

Streak
Bluish Black   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
90.00 N/mm2   
22
95.00 N/mm2   
20

Cleavage
Crenulation and Pervasive   
Perfect   

Toughness
2.4   
2.6   

Specific Gravity
2.86   
2.2-2.8   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   
2.2-2.8 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found   
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, 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   
Canada, 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 Itacolumite Properties

Know all about Tephrite and Itacolumite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Tephrite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Itacolumite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Tephrite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic whereas that of Itacolumite is Clastic, Granular, Rough. Tephrite appears Vesicular and Itacolumite appears Rough. The luster of Tephrite is subvitreous to dull while that of Itacolumite is dull. Tephrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors whereas Itacolumite is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Tephrite are production of lime, soil conditioner and that of Itacolumite are an oil and gas reservoir, in aquifers, petroleum reservoirs, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones.

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