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Tephrite and Litchfieldite


Litchfieldite and Tephrite


Definition

Definition
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock   
Litchfieldite is a rare igneous rock which is coarse-grained, foliated and a variety of nepheline syenite, sometimes also called as nepheline syenite gneiss or gneissic nepeheline syenite   

History
  
  

Origin
Germany   
USA   

Discoverer
Van Tooren   
Bayley   

Etymology
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn   
From its occurrence at Litchfield, Maine, USA   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Plutonic   

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

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic   
Granular   

Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, White   
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Vesicular   
Banded and Foilated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Landscaping   
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner   
Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Borolanite and Litchfieldite   

Features
Host Rock for Lead   
Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest 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   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

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.   
Litchfieldite 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.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite   

Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6.5   
5.5-6   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Conchoidal to Uneven   

Streak
Bluish Black   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull   
Greasy to Dull   

Compressive Strength
90.00 N/mm2   
22
150.00 N/mm2   
14

Cleavage
Crenulation and Pervasive   
Poor   

Toughness
2.4   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.86   
2.6   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   
2.6 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Africa
Namibia, Uganda   
South Africa   

Europe
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain   
Finland, Norway, Portugal   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia   
Not Yet Found   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Tephrite and Litchfieldite Properties

Know all about Tephrite and Litchfieldite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Tephrite and Litchfieldite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Tephrite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic whereas that of Litchfieldite is Granular. Tephrite appears Vesicular and Litchfieldite appears Banded and Foilated. The luster of Tephrite is subvitreous to dull while that of Litchfieldite is greasy to dull. Tephrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, white colors whereas Litchfieldite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Tephrite are production of lime, soil conditioner and that of Litchfieldite are creating artwork.

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