Travertine

Nephelinite

Travertine and Nephelinite

Travertine

Nephelinite

Add ⊕

Definition

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

Nephelinite is a fine-grained or aphanitic igneous rock made up almost entirely of nepheline and clinopyroxene (variety augite).

History

Origin

Italy

Brazil

Discoverer

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Unknown

Etymology

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

from French néphéline, from Greek nephelē

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded

Aphanitic

Color

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

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Fibrous

Skeletal

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

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, Office Buildings, Paving Stone

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

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

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Thermal Travertine and Tufa

Peralkaline Nephelinite

Features

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

Host Rock for Lead

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.

Nephelinite 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

Clinopyroxene, Nepheline, Plagioclase

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

Ca, CaO, Carbon, Cl, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-46.5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Splintery

Flat

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly

Vitreous to Metallic

Compressive Strength

80.00 N/mm²35.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.7

Specific Gravity

1.682.4-2.9

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.71 g/cm³2.5-3 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.09 kJ/Kg K0.88 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, Russia

Japan

Africa

Rwanda, Tanzania

Europe

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Others

Hawaii Islands

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

All about Travertine and Nephelinite Properties

Know all about Travertine and Nephelinite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Travertine belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Nephelinite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Travertine is Banded whereas that of Nephelinite is Aphanitic. Travertine appears Fibrous and Nephelinite appears Skeletal. The luster of Travertine is dull to pearly while that of Nephelinite is vitreous to metallic. Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors whereas Nephelinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Travertine are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, paper industry, pottery and that of Nephelinite are creating artwork, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo).