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Trachyte and Picrite


Picrite and Trachyte


Definition

Definition
Trachyte is a grey fine-grained volcanic rock which mainly consists of alkali feldspar   
Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
Hawaii Islands   

Discoverer
Alexandre Brongniart and René Just Haüy   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Greek trakhus rough’ or trakhutēs roughness   
From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Volcanic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic   
Earthy, Rough   

Color
Black, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey, Light to Dark Grey, White   
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Banded   
Rough and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories   
As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Roadstone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Oceanite   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable   
Host Rock for Lead   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Trachyte is an igneous volcanic rock with an aphanitic to porphyritic texture. It is the volcanic equivalent of syenite rock and forms as a result of magmatic differentiation.   
Picrite 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
Augite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Quartz   
Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite   

Compound Content
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   
Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6   
6.8   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Not Available   
Uneven   

Streak
White   
White, Greenish White or Grey   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Metallic   
Subvitreous to Dull   

Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2   
14
189.00 N/mm2   
11

Cleavage
Not Available   
Imperfect   

Toughness
Not Available   
2.1   

Specific Gravity
2.7   
2.75-2.92   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.43-2.45 g/cm3   
1.5-2.5 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.88 kJ/Kg K   
13

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   
India, Russia   

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

Europe
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland   
Iceland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil, Chile   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia   
Not Yet Found   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Trachyte and Picrite Properties

Know all about Trachyte and Picrite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Trachyte and Picrite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Trachyte is Aphanitic to Porphyritic whereas that of Picrite is Earthy, Rough. Trachyte appears Banded and Picrite appears Rough and Shiny. The luster of Trachyte is metallic while that of Picrite is subvitreous to dull. Trachyte is available in black, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey, light to dark grey, white colors whereas Picrite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Trachyte are cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Picrite are as a feed additive for livestock, as armour rock for sea walls, metallurgical flux, pottery, source of magnesia (mgo).

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