Travertine

Pumice

Travertine and Pumice

Travertine

Pumice

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Definition

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

Pumice is a volcanic rock that consists of highly vesicular rough textured volcanic glass, which may or may not contain crystals

History

Origin

Italy

Spain

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 pomis, from a Latin dialect variant of pumex

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Banded

Vesicular

Color

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

Beige, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Pink, White, Yellow- grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Fibrous

Vesicular

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, 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, Powder

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, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and horticulture, Making natural cement, Production of lightweight concrete blocks

Medical Industry

As an abrasive in skin exfoliating products, In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

As a traction material on snow-covered roads, As an abrasive in pencil erasers, Fine abrasive used for polishing, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Used in aquariums

Types

Thermal Travertine and Tufa

Scoria

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.

Pumice rock forms when the magma cools so quickly that atoms in the melt are not able to arrange themselves into a crystalline structure.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Aluminum Oxides, Calcite, Carbonate, Iron Oxides, Silica

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

Al, Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical 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

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Splintery

Planar

Streak

White

White, Greenish White or Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly

Earthy

Compressive Strength

80.00 N/mm²51.20 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

Specific Gravity

1.682.86

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.71 g/cm³0.25-0.3 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.09 kJ/Kg K0.87 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, Russia

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania

Europe

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Travertine and Pumice Properties

Know all about Travertine and Pumice properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Travertine belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Pumice belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Travertine is Banded whereas that of Pumice is Vesicular. Travertine appears Fibrous and Pumice appears Vesicular. The luster of Travertine is dull to pearly while that of Pumice is earthy. Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors whereas Pumice is available in beige, grey, light green, light grey, pink, white, yellow- grey colors. The commercial uses of Travertine are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, paper industry, pottery and that of Pumice are as a traction material on snow-covered roads, as an abrasive in pencil erasers, fine abrasive used for polishing, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, used in aquariums.