Definition
Tephrite is an aphanitic to porphyritic textured, volcanic igneous rock
Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat
Discoverer
Van Tooren
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek tephra, ashes from Indo-European base, to burn
From French, Latin lignum wood + -ite1
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
Amorphous, Glassy
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Vesicular
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
-
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
-
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
-
Construction Industry
Landscaping
for Road Aggregate, Steel Production
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
-
Commercial Uses
Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner
Electricity Generation
Types
Igneous rock
Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Generally rough to touch, Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Archaeological Significance
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.
Coal formation takes place due to accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. The Coal formation process continues, as peat turns into lignite brown or black coal at increasing heat and pressure.
Mineral Content
Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
-
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Conchoidal
Streak
Bluish Black
Black
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Subvitreous to Dull
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Cleavage
Crenulation and Pervasive
-
Specific Gravity
2.86
1.1-1.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
800-801 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
-
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Namibia, Uganda
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Portugal, Spain
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
-
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
Tephrite vs Lignite 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. Tephrite vs Lignite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tephrite and Properties of Lignite. Learn more about Tephrite vs Lignite in the next section. The interior uses of Tephrite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Lignite include . Due to some exceptional properties of Tephrite and Lignite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tephrite in construction industry include Landscaping and that of Lignite include For road aggregate, Steel production.
More about Tephrite and Lignite
Here you can know more about Tephrite and Lignite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tephrite and Lignite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tephrite includes Alkali feldspar, Nepheline, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Lignite includes . You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tephrite vs Lignite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tephrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors whereas, Lignite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Tephrite is Vesicular and that of Lignite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tephrite vs Lignite. The hardness of Tephrite is 6.5 and that of Lignite is 1. The types of Tephrite are Igneous rock whereas types of Lignite are Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tephrite is bluish black while that of Lignite is black. The specific heat capacity of Tephrite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Lignite is 1.26 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Tephrite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Lignite is heat resistant.