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Limestone and Rhyolite


Rhyolite and Limestone


Definition

Definition
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate  
Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica  

History
  
  

Origin
New Zealand  
North America  

Discoverer
Belsazar Hacquet  
Ferdinand von Richthofen  

Etymology
From lime and stone in late 14th Century  
From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable  
Volcanic  

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic  
Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic  

Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow  
Grey, White, Light Black  

Maintenance
More  
More  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Rough and Banded  
Banded  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens  

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Not Yet Used  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium  
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives  

Medical Industry
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics  
Not Yet Used  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper  
Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry  

Types

Types
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa  
Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.  

Features
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits  
Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used  
Not Yet Used  

Famous Monuments
Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem  
Not Applicable  

Sculpture
Used  
Not Yet Used  

Famous Sculptures
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India  
Not Applicable  

Pictographs
Used  
Not Used  

Petroglyphs
Used  
Not Used  

Figurines
Used  
Not Yet Used  

Fossils
Present  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.  
Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt  
Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO  
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional 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  
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-4  
6-7  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Large and Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Splintery  
Sub-conchoidal  

Streak
White  
Colorless  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Dull to Pearly  
Earthy  

Compressive Strength
115.00 N/mm2  
18
140.00 N/mm2  
15

Cleavage
Non-Existent  
Not Available  

Toughness
1  
2  

Specific Gravity
2.3-2.7  
2.65-2.67  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.3-2.7 g/cm3  
2.4-2.6 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.91 kJ/Kg K  
11
Not Available  

Resistance
Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam  
China, India  

Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe  
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa  

Europe
United Kingdom  
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain  

Others
Not Yet Found  
Not Yet Found  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Canada, USA  

South America
Colombia  
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula  
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Limestone and Rhyolite Properties

Know all about Limestone and Rhyolite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Limestone belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Rhyolite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Limestone is Clastic or Non-Clastic whereas that of Rhyolite is Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic. Limestone appears Rough and Banded and Rhyolite appears Banded. The luster of Limestone is dull to pearly while that of Rhyolite is earthy. Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors whereas Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors. The commercial uses of Limestone are animal feed filler, as a feed additive for livestock, paper industry, raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, soil conditioner, used in aquariums, whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper and that of Rhyolite are gemstone, laboratory bench tops, jewelry.

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