Definition
Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption
  
Boninite is a mafic extrusive rock which is high in magnesium and silica content, formed in fore-arc environments, typically during the early stages of subduction
  
History
  
  
Origin
Italy
  
Japan
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff
  
From its occurrence in the Izu-Bonin arc south of Japan
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Volcanic
  
Volcanic
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Clastic, Pyroclastic
  
Aphanitic to Porphyritic
  
Color
Brown, Grey, Yellow
  
Bluish - Grey, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey
  
Maintenance
More
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Dull, Vesicular and Foilated
  
Dull and Soft
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Kitchens
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
  
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Not Yet Used
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate
  
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork
  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
  
Types
Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.
  
Not Available
  
Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust
  
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, High Mg content, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
Formation
Tuff is formed when large masses of ash and sand which are mixed with hot gases are ejected by a volcano and avalanche rapidly down its slopes.
  
Boninite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or existing rocks.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chlorite
  
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite
  
Compound Content
Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide
  
Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
4-6
  
7
  
Grain Size
Fine Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Uneven
  
Uneven
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Vitreous to Dull
  
Vitreous
  
Compressive Strength
243.80 N/mm
2
  
5
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
1.1
  
Specific Gravity
2.73
  
2.5-2.8
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
1-1.8 g/cm3
  
Not Available
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.20 kJ/Kg K
  
25
Not Available
  
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen
  
Not Available
  
Africa
Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda
  
South Africa
  
Europe
France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
  
England, Finland, United Kingdom
  
Others
Antarctica, Hawaii Islands
  
Antarctica, Greenland
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA
  
USA
  
South America
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay
  
Colombia, Uruguay
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
  
New Zealand, Western Australia
  
Tuff vs Boninite 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. Tuff vs Boninite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Tuff and Properties of Boninite. Learn more about Tuff vs Boninite in the next section. The interior uses of Tuff include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Boninite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Tuff and Boninite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Tuff in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate and that of Boninite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Tuff and Boninite
Here you can know more about Tuff and Boninite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Tuff and Boninite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Tuff includes Calcite, Chlorite and mineral content of Boninite includes Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Tuff vs Boninite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas, Boninite is available in bluish - grey, brown, colourless, green, grey colors. Appearance of Tuff is Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and that of Boninite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Tuff vs Boninite. The hardness of Tuff is 4-6 and that of Boninite is 7. The types of Tuff are Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite. whereas types of Boninite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Tuff and Boninite is white. The specific heat capacity of Tuff is 0.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Boninite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Tuff is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Boninite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.