Travertine

Felsite

Travertine and Felsite

Travertine

Felsite

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Definition

Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters

Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition

History

Origin

Italy

Discoverer

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Unknown

Etymology

From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy

From English feldspar and -ite

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded

Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous

Color

Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Fibrous

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Surgery

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery

Mirror, Jewelry

Types

Thermal Travertine and Tufa

Igneous rock

Features

Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Absent

Formation

Travertine is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock which then undergo sedimentation. They are then subjected to high temperature and pressure hence forming travertine rock.

Felsite 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

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Feldspar, Iron Oxides

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

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, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-45-5.5

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Splintery

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

80.00 N/mm²0.15 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

1.682.6-2.7

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Translucent

Density

2.71 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.09 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, Russia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

Kenya

Europe

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand

All about Travertine and Felsite Properties

Know all about Travertine and Felsite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Travertine belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Felsite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Travertine is Banded whereas that of Felsite is Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous. Travertine appears Fibrous and Felsite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Travertine is dull to pearly while that of Felsite is vitreous. Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors whereas Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Travertine are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, paper industry, pottery and that of Felsite are mirror, jewelry.