Tonalite

Nepheline Syenite

Tonalite vs Nepheline Syenite

Tonalite

Add ⊕

Definition

Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture

Nepheline Syenite is a holocrystalline plutonic rock resembling syenite but containing nepheline and lacking quartz

History

Origin

Tonale, Italy

Unknown

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From Tonale Pass, northern Italy, + -ite1

From origin of a Palaeozoic nepheline syenite from northern Shanxi Province, China

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Phaneritic

Granular

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

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 Available

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork

Types

Dacite

Borolanite and Litchfieldite

Features

Is one of the oldest rock, Typically speckled black and white.

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

Not Available

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Not Available

Pictographs

Not Used

Used

Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

When alkali feldspar is extracted from granite, it changes to granitoid and later, it becomes tonalite with quartz as major mineral.

Nepheline Syenites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.

Composition

Mineral Content

Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon

Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite

Compound Content

NaCl, CaO, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

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

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-75.5-6

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

Bluish Black

White

Porosity

Very Less Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Subvitreous to Dull

Greasy to Dull

Compressive Strength

NA150.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Not Available

Toughness

2.1

Not Available

Specific Gravity

2.86-32.6

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.73 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg KNA

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Not Available

Indonesia, Iran, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Vietnam

Africa

Egypt

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey

Andorra, Finland, France, Great Britain, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, Sweden

Others

Not Available

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Uruguay, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Tasmania, Western Australia

Tonalite vs Nepheline Syenite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Tonalite and Nepheline Syenite Reserves. Tonalite is a coarse-grained plutonic rock consisting mainly of sodic plagioclase, quartz, and hornblende or other mafic minerals with phaneritic texture. Nepheline Syenite is a holocrystalline plutonic rock resembling syenite but containing nepheline and lacking quartz. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Tonalite vs Nepheline Syenite information and Tonalite vs Nepheline Syenite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Igneous Rocks » More

Tonalite vs Anorthosite

Tonalite vs Trachyte

Tonalite vs Nepheline Syenite

» More Compare Igneous Rocks

Tonalite vs Nepheline Syenite 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. Tonalite vs Nepheline Syenite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tonalite and Properties of Nepheline Syenite. Learn more about Tonalite vs Nepheline Syenite in the next section. The interior uses of Tonalite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Nepheline Syenite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Tonalite and Nepheline Syenite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tonalite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Nepheline Syenite include 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.

More about Tonalite and Nepheline Syenite

Here you can know more about Tonalite and Nepheline Syenite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tonalite and Nepheline Syenite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tonalite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Manganese Oxides, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon and mineral content of Nepheline Syenite includes Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tonalite vs Nepheline Syenite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tonalite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas, Nepheline Syenite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Tonalite is Banded and Foilated and that of Nepheline Syenite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tonalite vs Nepheline Syenite. The hardness of Tonalite is 6-7 and that of Nepheline Syenite is 5.5-6. The types of Tonalite are Dacite whereas types of Nepheline Syenite are Borolanite and Litchfieldite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tonalite is bluish black while that of Nepheline Syenite is white. The specific heat capacity of Tonalite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Nepheline Syenite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Tonalite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant whereas Nepheline Syenite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.