Definition
Definition
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine
History
Origin
Unknown
Discoverer
Unknown
Etymology
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
Plutonic
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic
Color
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
81% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
86% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
66% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
49% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
48% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Uses
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Available
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Types
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites
Features
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Fossils
Absent
Formation
Formation
Pyroxenites are ultramafic igneous rocks which are made up of minerals of the pyroxene group, such as augite and diopside, hypersthene, bronzite or enstatite.
Composition
Mineral Content
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
97% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
99% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
92% - Igneous Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Properties
Physical Properties
Hardness
7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
Porosity
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Compressive Strength
Not Available
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
Specific Gravity
3.2-3.5
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Density
3.1-3.6 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Reserves
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Africa
South Africa
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Others
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland