About Quartzite
The parent rock for quartzite is quartz-rich sandstone. As sandstone becomes deeply buried, rising temperature will fuse the quartz grains together forming the extremely hard and weather-resistant rock quartzite. Like marble, quartzite comes in many colors, but when pure it is light-colored. Quartzite tends to have a sugary appearance, and when broken the fractures cut through the sand grains, not around them as with a sandstone.
Physical Properties of Quartzite
Physically, they are very Hard, Compact, Fine grained, equi-granular homogeneous rocks of metamorphic nature (Quartzite).
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Color |
Minor color tonal variations exist but within the tolerance limit. |
|
Hardness |
6.5 to 7 on Moh's Scale |
|
Density |
2.3 to 2.4 Kg/cm3 |
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Compressive Strength |
90 to 140 N/mm2 |
|
Modulus of Rupture |
16-40 N/mm2 |
|
Water Absorption |
1.0 - 1.2 % |
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Porosity |
Low to very low. |
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Weather Impact |
Resistant |
Chemical Properties of Quartzite
Chemically they are very resistant Mono-Mineralic rocks, principally composed of silica. The other minor constituents vary from origin to origin.
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SiO2 |
95-97% |
|
Iron (Fe2O3) |
0.5%-1.5% |
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Alumina (Al2O3) |
1 to 1.5% |
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Soda (Na2O) & Potash (Kro) |
Less then 1% |
|
Lime (CaO) |
Less then 0.5% |
|
Magnesia (MgO) |
Less then 0.5% |
|
Loss On Ignition (LOI) |
Less then 0.5% |
They are highly resistant to acids, alkalies and thermal impact. Insolubility in acids and alkalies is about 97%.
Uses of Quartzite
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Usually dyed to some pleasing color -- has been tumbled or otherwise fashioned into decorative items.
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Quartzite is the raw material for the glass and ceramics industries
Colour of Quartzite
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White
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Grey
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Reddish
Texture of Quartzite
Medium-grained; usually of a granoblastic texture
Occurances of Quartzite
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Italy
India |
Cuneo, Piedmont Region, Snive Quarry, Robilante
Deoli tonk, badnor, |
|
Sweden |
Wasa Sten |
|
Norway |
Austertena (largest in world) |