Travertine

Picrite

Travertine and Picrite

Travertine

Picrite

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Definition

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

Picrite is a variety of high-magnesium olivine basalt that is very rich in the mineral olivine

History

Origin

Italy

Hawaii Islands

Discoverer

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Unknown

Etymology

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

From Greek pikros bitter + -ite, 19th century

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded

Earthy, Rough

Color

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

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Fibrous

Rough and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, 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

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 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

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

As a Feed Additive for Livestock, As armour rock for sea walls, Metallurgical Flux, Pottery, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Thermal Travertine and Tufa

Oceanite

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.

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

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyrrhotite

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

Al, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Mg, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-46.8

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Splintery

Uneven

Streak

White

White, Greenish White or Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly

Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength

80.00 N/mm²189.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

1.682.75-2.92

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.71 g/cm³1.5-2.5 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

India, Russia

Africa

South Africa

Europe

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Iceland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

All about Travertine and Picrite Properties

Know all about Travertine and Picrite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Travertine belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Picrite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Travertine is Banded whereas that of Picrite is Earthy, Rough. Travertine appears Fibrous and Picrite appears Rough and Shiny. The luster of Travertine is dull to pearly while that of Picrite is subvitreous to dull. Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors whereas Picrite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Travertine are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, paper industry, pottery and that of Picrite are as a feed additive for livestock, as armour rock for sea walls, metallurgical flux, pottery, source of magnesia (mgo).