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Variolite and Phyllite


Phyllite and Variolite


Definition

Definition
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks which exhibit pale colored spots, or spherules, especially on weathered surfaces, that give them a pockmarked appearance  
Phyllite is a fine-grained metamorphic rock with a well-developed laminar structure, and is intermediate between slate and schist rocks  

History
  
  

Origin
France  
Unknown  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Latin varius, speckled, variegated  
From Greek phullon leaf + -ite1  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
Not Applicable  

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

Texture

Texture
Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular  
Phyllitic Sheen, Slaty  

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey  
Black to Grey, Light Greenish Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
More  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Dull and Soft  
Crinkled or Wavy  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
Not Available  
Not Available  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Writing Slates  

Types

Types
Not Available  
Not Available  

Features
Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained rock  
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used  
Not Yet Used  

Famous Monuments
Not Available  
Not Applicable  

Sculpture
Used  
Used  

Famous Sculptures
Not Available  
Not Available  

Pictographs
Used  
Used  

Petroglyphs
Used  
Used  

Figurines
Used  
Used  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Variolites are a group of dark green basic igneous rocks that exhibit pale colored spots on weathered surfaces that give them a pockmarked appearance.  
Phyllite is a metamorphic rock which is formed by regional metamorphism of argillaceous sediments since their cleavage arose due to deviatoric stress.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  
Albite, Alusite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc, Zircon  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
No  

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

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Not Applicable  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6  
1-2  

Grain Size
Not Applicable  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White to Grey  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Not Available  
Phyllitic  

Compressive Strength
37.50 N/mm2  
27
Not Available  

Cleavage
Not Available  
Crenulation and Pervasive  

Toughness
2.3  
1.2  

Specific Gravity
2.8-3  
2.72-2.73  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm3  
2.18-3.3 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
Not Available  

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia  
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam  

Africa
South Africa  
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa  

Europe
Iceland  
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland  

Others
Not Available  
Not Available  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA  

South America
Brazil  
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Available  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Variolite and Phyllite Properties

Know all about Variolite and Phyllite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Variolite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Phyllite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Variolite is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Vesicular whereas that of Phyllite is Phyllitic Sheen, Slaty. Variolite appears Dull and Soft and Phyllite appears Crinkled or Wavy. The luster of Variolite is not available while that of Phyllite is phyllitic. Variolite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Phyllite is available in black to grey, light greenish grey colors. The commercial uses of Variolite are cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Phyllite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, writing slates.

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