Travertine

Porphyry

Travertine and Porphyry

Travertine

Porphyry

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Definition

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

Porphyry is a reddish-brown to purple igneous rock containing large phenocrysts of various minerals embedded in a fine-grained matrix

History

Origin

Italy

Egypt

Discoverer

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Unknown

Etymology

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

From Old French porfire, from Italian porfiro and in some cases directly from Latin porphyrites

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

Porphyritic

Color

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

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, Rust, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Fibrous

Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

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

Construction Aggregate

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

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry

Types

Thermal Travertine and Tufa

Rhomb Porphyry

Features

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

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny

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.

Porphyry is formed in two stages: the magma cools slowly deep within the crust or the magma is cools rapidly as it erupts from a volcano, creating small grains that are usually invisible to naked eye.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Biotite, Chert, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Quartz, Silica

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-46-7

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Splintery

Irregular

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly

Dull

Compressive Strength

80.00 N/mm²150.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

1.7

Specific Gravity

1.682.5-4

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.71 g/cm³2.5-2.52 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.09 kJ/Kg K0.71 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

China, Kazakhstan, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa

Europe

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Finland, France, Germany, Great Britain, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Norway, Romania, Sweden, Switzerland

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Cuba, Jamaica, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Paraguay

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Travertine and Porphyry Properties

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