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Travertine vs Quartzite


Quartzite vs Travertine


Definition

Definition
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters   
Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone   

History
  
  

Origin
Italy   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy   
From quartz + -ite   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Banded   
Foliated, Granular   

Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow   
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Appearance
Fibrous   
Lustrous   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes   

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   

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, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As armour rock for sea walls, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, In aquifers, Laboratory bench tops, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

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   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

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.   
Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz   
Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz   

Compound Content
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-4   
6-7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Medium Grained   

Fracture
Splintery   
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull to Pearly   
Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
80.00 N/mm2   
23
115.00 N/mm2   
18

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Indiscernible   

Toughness
1   
1.9   

Specific Gravity
1.68   
2.6-2.8   

Transparency
Opaque   
Transparent to Translucent   

Density
2.71 g/cm3   
2.32-2.42 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
1.09 kJ/Kg K   
8
0.75 kJ/Kg K   
18

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, Russia   
China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey   

Africa
Not Yet Found   
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe   

Europe
Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom   
England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Bahamas, Canada, USA   

South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador   
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia   

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Travertine vs Quartzite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Travertine and Quartzite Reserves. Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters. Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Travertine vs Quartzite information and Travertine vs Quartzite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

Travertine vs Quartzite Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Travertine vs Quartzite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Quartzite. Learn more about Travertine vs Quartzite in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Quartzite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Quartzite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Travertine in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Quartzite include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of glass and ceramics, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Travertine and Quartzite

Here you can know more about Travertine and Quartzite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Quartzite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Quartzite includes Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Quartzite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Quartzite is Lustrous. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Quartzite. The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Quartzite is 6-7. The types of Travertine are Not Available whereas types of Quartzite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Travertine and Quartzite is white. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Quartzite is 0.75 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Travertine is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Quartzite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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