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What is Carbonatite?



Definition

Definition
Carbonatite is intrusive or extrusive igneous rock which is defined by mineralogic composition, consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals

History

Origin
Tanzania

Discoverer
Unknown

Etymology
From any intrusive igneous rock, having a majority of carbonate minerals

Class
Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group
Plutonic

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

Texture

Texture
Granular, Poikiloblastic

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance
Less

Durability
Durable

Water Resistant
Yes

Scratch Resistant
No

Stain Resistant
No

Wind Resistant
No

Acid Resistant
No

Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry
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
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux

Types

Types
Carbonatite

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

Archaeological Significance

Monuments
-

Famous Monuments
-

Sculpture
-

Famous Sculptures
-

Pictographs
-

Petroglyphs
-

Figurines
-

Fossils
Absent

Formation

Formation
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
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite

Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide

Transformation

Metamorphism
Yes

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering
Yes

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion
Yes

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness
3

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture
Conchoidal

Streak
White

Porosity
Less Porous

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull

Compressive Strength
75.00 N/mm2 34

Cleavage
-

Toughness
1

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87

Transparency
Opaque

Density
2.84-2.86 g/cm3

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity
0.51 kJ/Kg K 29

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

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

Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others
Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America
Canada, USA

South America
Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand

Summary >>
<< Reserves

Igneous Rocks

Learn more about Properties of Carbonatite

What is Carbonatite? In this section, we will learn more about properties of Carbonatite i.e. physical and thermal properties. Physical properties of Carbonatite include Color, Streak, Hardness, Structure, Cleavage, Fracture, Luster, Specific Gravity etc. The strength of Carbonatite is 75.00 N/mm2. Streak of Carbonatite is white while its cleavage is . Luster of Carbonatite is subvitreous to dull and its fracture is conchoidal. Carbonatite is opaque in nature. Know all about Carbonatite, What is Carbonatite, its composition, features, facts and reserves in next sections.

Know about Composition of Carbonatite

What is Carbonatite composed of? Get to know about composition of Carbonatite here. Carbonatite definition gives information about the Formation of Carbonatite and its composition.The composition of Carbonatite can be further divided into mineral and compound content. The mineral content of Carbonatite rock includes Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite and The compound content of Carbonatite rock includes CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide. Almost all rocks undergo transformation process. Know all about Carbonatite rock in next section.

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