Identification Of Minerals based on their Physical Properties

Petrology:- The study of rocks is called petrology

Rocks are of 3 Types

A) Igneous rock B) Sedimentary Rock C) Metamorphic Rock

Igneous Rocks are of three types:-

a) Plutonic Igneous Rocks: They are coarse grained. Ex: Granite, Gabbro, Dunite
b) Hypabyssal Igneous Rocks: They are mixture of coarse,medium& fine grained Ex:
Pegmatite, Dolerite & Granite Porphyry
c) Volcanic Igneous Rocks: They are Fine grained Ex: Basalt, Pumice

Porphyries are rock types having inequigranular texture. Some grains are of large size when
compared to other grains.

Colour Index(CI) = Number Of Felsic Minerals = Number of Light coloured Minerals

Number Of Maffic Minerals Number Of dark coloured Minerals
Felsic Minerals are light coloured Minerals.
Mafic Minerals are Dark Coloured Minerals.

Leucocratic ( CI) More number of felsic Minerals

Melenocratic(CI) More number of Mafic Minerals
Mesocratic(CI) Equal Number of Felsic & Mafic Minerals.

Texture of a Rock is the Arrangement of mineral grains equigranular texture is also called by
Panidiomorphic, Hypediomorphic & Allotriomorphic texture .

‘E’ EssentialMineral A Accessory Mineral

CS Cmpressive strength
L Porosity SG Specific Gravity
 Physical Properties Of Igneous Rocks
(A) Plutonic Rocks
Rocks Properties

Yellowish green/
Gray/ Grayish Dark gray/ olivine green/
white/Pink
Colour white/ Black(Meleno greenish
(Leucocratic)
(Leucocratic) cratic) yellow(Mesocratic-
melenocratic)
Equigranular, Equigranular, Fine
Structure/Texture & Equigranular, Equigranular,
Medium to to Medium
grain size Fine to Medium Medium to coarse
Coarse
Quartz,Feldsar
Plagioclase,
(Orthoclase,Pla Quartz,
Augite,
gioclase), Plagioclase, Olivine, Chromite,
Mineral compositi-on Biotite,
Mica(Biotite,M Biotite, Augite
Orthoclase,
uscovite), Orthoclase
chalcopyrite
Magnetite
CS 700-2000 700-3000
3 700-2000 kg/cm3 3 500-2500 kg/cm3
kg/cm kg/cm
Engg L 0.1% - 1 % Low Low Low
Properties
Sp.
Medium 2.6-2.8 Medium 2.6 2.8-3 3-3.3
Gravity
Acidic,Plutoni Acidic,Plutonic,
Petrogenessis Acidic,Plutonic, Acidic,Plutonic,
c, Igneous Igneous rock
/Classificati-on Igneous rock Igneous rock
rock
Monomineralli-c
Abundant Dark Gray
Distinguis-hing rock(Containig
Quartz, Abundant Quartz color, coarse
Properties almost entirely
Feldspar grained
olivine)

Name Pink Granite Grey Granite Gabbro Dunite

Foundation
Building
Stone, Decorative
stone, Railway
Masonary stone, Ornamental, Purpose, Worked
ballast, Road
Concrete Decorative (Extraction) for
metal,
Engg.Use aggregate,Build purpose, serpentine
concrete
ing, Ornamental Building,
aggregate,also
stone, Railway Foundation Stone
has platinum
ballast, Road
deposits
metal
 Physical Properties Of Igneous Rocks
(B) Hypabyssal Rocks
Rocks Properties

Gray / brownish Grayish white /

pink,Pinkish white
Colour (Mesocratic)
gray pink Black
(Mesocratic) (Leucocratic) (Melenocratic
Inequigranular,In Ophitic, Medium to
Structure/Texture & Porphyritic, Porphyritic,
tergrowth, fine
grain size Medium-Coarse Medium-Coarse
Coarse-Medium
Plagioclase,orthoclas Plagioclase, Augite
Quartz,
Feldspar, Quartz, e, Olivine
feldspar(Orthocls
Mineral composition Hornblende, Quartz Biotite,
e, Plagioclase)
Fe oxides, Biotite Hornblende, Fe
Muscovite mica
oxides
CS 60-250 Mpa 60-250 Mpa 700-2000 kg/cm3 1500-3000 kg/cm3
Engg
L Low Low Low Low
Properties 2.8-2.9 2.6-2.8
Sp.G 2.6-2.9 2.8-3
Acidic, Intermediate, Acidic, Intermediate,
Petrogenessis Hypabyssal Hypabyssal Igneous Hypabyssal Hypabyssal Igneous
/Classificati-on Igneous rock rock Igneous rock rock
Porphyritic texture Porphyritic texture
Distinguis-hing Intergrowth
and abundant and plagiclase as a Ophitic texture
Properties texture
quartz & Fespar phenocryst
Name Granite Porphyry Diorite Porphyry Pegmatite Dolerite
Ornamental,
Building, Decorative Decorative Purpose,
Used as building
Engg.Use Ornamental,
&Ornamental stone
purpose, contains Monumental, Concrete
decorative muscovite mica aggregate, road metal
deposits
 Physical Properties Of Igneous Rocks
(C) Volcanic Rocks
Rocks Properties

Black,
Colour Brown(Melenocratic)
Black, Brown(Melenocratic)

Structure/Texture & Equigranular,Fine/ve

Equigranular,Fine/vesicular structure
grain size sicular structure
Plagioclase,Feldspar,
Plagioclase,Feldspar, Augite, Fe oxides,
Mineral composition Augite, Fe oxides,
Olivine, Magnesite, Calcite, Quartz
Olivine,Quartz
CS 37.40 N/mm2 37.40 N/mm2
Engg
L <1.5% <1.5%
Properties
Sp.G 3-3.5 3-3.5
Petrogenessis Basic Vocanic
Basic Vocanic Igneous rock
/Classificati-on Igneous rock
Distinguis-hing Vescicular structure Amygdaloidal Structure
Properties
Name Vesicular Basalt Amygdaloidal Baslat

Road Metal, Railway

Ballast, used to make Road Metal, Railway Ballast, used to
Engg.Use rock wool & Glass make rock wool & Glass wool
wool

Mica Mineral is also associated with pegmatite. Dolerite is called “Black Granite”. Porphyry has
Inequigranular texture. Some are large grained, some are small grained. Size upto 1-inch diameter.
Vesicular Basalt is not a good building stone. Basalt is vesicular due to escaping of gases.
Amygdaloidal Basalt have secondary minerals filled in these vesicles. Basalt without vesicles is
called Massive Basalt. Massive Basalts produce a loud sound when struck against each other. It is
a good building stone.
Pumice is a volcanic Rock which floats on water. It mainly contains volcanic ash with lot of pores.
It is compacted volcanic ash. Igneous Rocks are strong, hand & useful for Building Construction
& useful to resist earthquakes.