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Websterite and Carbonatite


Carbonatite and Websterite


Definition

Definition
Websterite is ultramafic and ultrabasic rock that consists of roughly equal proportions of orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene. It is a special type of pyroxenite.   
Carbonatite is intrusive or extrusive igneous rock which is defined by mineralogic composition, consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals   

History
  
  

Origin
Webster, North Carolina   
Tanzania   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From the town of Webster located in North Carolina   
From any intrusive igneous rock, having a majority of carbonate minerals   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Plutonic   

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic   
Granular, Poikiloblastic   

Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey   
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Dull, Banded and Foilated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road 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, Unknown, Unknown   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Websterite can be formed as cumulates in ultramafic intrusions by accumulation of pyroxene crystals at the base of the lava chamber.   
Carbonatites are intrusive or extrusive igneous rocks which are defined by mineralogic composition consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals and are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene   
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide   
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism   
Burial Metamorphism, Contact 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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7   
3   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Uneven   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic   
Subvitreous to Dull   

Cleavage
Irregular   
Not Available   

Toughness
Not Available   
1   

Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5   
2.86-2.87   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3   
2.84-2.86 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India, Russia   
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan   

Africa
South Africa   
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey   
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New Zealand, Queensland   
New South Wales, New Zealand   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Websterite and Carbonatite Properties

Know all about Websterite and Carbonatite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Websterite and Carbonatite belong to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Websterite is Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic whereas that of Carbonatite is Granular, Poikiloblastic. Websterite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Carbonatite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Websterite is dull to vitreous to submetallic while that of Carbonatite is subvitreous to dull. Websterite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors whereas Carbonatite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. The commercial uses of Websterite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, laboratory bench tops, jewelry, sea defence, tombstones and that of Carbonatite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux.

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