Granite
Granite are igneous rocks, very hard, crystalline, and primarily composed of feldspar, quartz accompanied by one or more dark minerals. It is visibly homogeneous in texture. Granite as a hard building stone, finds a great place in building architecture and also has great monumental applications. Due to its hardness, resistance to weathering for decades and centuries , capability to take high gloss , availability in fascinating colors and textural patterns, granite slabs and granite tiles are extremely popular world wide .
The principal characteristics of granite also include high load bearing capacity, crushing strength, abrasive strength, amenability to cutting and shaping without secondary flaws, ability to yield thin and large slabs and - above all - durability.
Physical Properties of Granite
Physically, commercial granites are Hard, Compact rocks with fine to coarse grains of igneous origin.
Chemical Properties of Granite
Chemically, they are igneous rocks composed of quartz, feldspar & ferromagnesian minerals like kriolite, chlorite, garnet, etc. A typical granite will have following chemical composition:
Uses of Granite
Traditionally the main use of black granite has been as tombstones and other monumental items but with increase in its availability and processing facilities world wide , it has been a promominet dimensional stone used in flooring cladding stair cases , kitchen tops , counters , vanities , basins , in luxury or common household or commercial places.
Marble
Marble is formed from limestone with heat and pressure over years in the earth's crust. These pressure or forces cause the limestone to change in texture and makeup. The process is called recrystallization. Fossilized materials in the limestone, along with its original carbonate minerals, recrystallize and form large, coarse grains of calcite.There are many minerals which get mixed into calcite as impurities during recrystallization process and give marble a wide variety of colors. The purest calcite marble is white in colour. Marble containing hematite are #d98603dish in color. Marble that has limonite is yellow, and marble with serpentine is green in colour. Those marble having a portion of 95% or more of calcites are called calcite marble while those with atleast 40 % magnesium content are called dolomite marble. The other varieties include magnesium and onyx marbles.
Physical Properties of Marble
Physically, commercial granites are Hard, Compact rocks with fine to coarse grains of igneous origin.
Chemical Properties of Marble
Chemically, they are crystalline rocks composed p#d98603ominantly of calcite, dolomite or serpentine minerals. The other minor constituents vary from origin to origin.
Uses of Marble
Marble has always been highly valued for its beauty, strength, and resistance to fire and erosion. The ancient Italian & Greeks were good users of marble in their buildings and statues. Some of wonders of world were crafted centuries ago in marble and still showing the same elegance and grandeur. P#d98603ominantly it is used as a very important flooring material due to its cool and soothing colours in the form of slabs tiles and various other architectural products. Its processing is easier against hard rocks like granite and hence widely popular.
Limestone
Limestone are calcareous sedimentary rocks formed at the bottom of lakes and seas with the accumulation of shells, bones and other calcium rich goods under great pressure. It is composed of mainly calcite (CaCO3).
The rock which contain more than 95% of calcium carbonate is known as high-calcium limestone. Recrystallised limestone takes good polish and is usually used as decorative and building stone.
Limestone that will take a polish are conside#d98603 marbles by most people, but technically, if there are still shells visible or the structure is not crystalline, it is still a limestone.
Physical Properties of Limestone
Physically, Lime stones are Quite impervious, Hard, Compact, fine to very fine grained calcareous rocks of sedimentary nature.
Chemical Properties of Limestone
Chemically, they are calcareous rocks principally of calcitic minerals with minor amounts of alumina, ferric & alkaline oxides.
Limestone is used in flooring cladding and even in making vanity tops .
Sand Stone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock group which is mostly made up of tiny grains of quartz. Most of sandstones are formed in oceans, lakes and rivers where tiny bits of rock and dirt settle to the bottom. Year after year, these layers of sand get buried under tons of more sand and dirt under pressure and turned into solid rock called Sandstone . It is found in many colors.
Physical Properties of Sandstone
Physically, Lime stones are Quite impervious, Hard, Compact, fine to very fine grained calcareous rocks of sedimentary nature.
Chemical Properties of Sandstone
Chemically sandstones are quite resistant and Mono-Mineralic rocks, principally composed of silica. The other minor constituents vary from origin to origin.
They are highly resistant to acids, alkalis and have high thermal impact. Insolubility in acids and alkalis is about 97%.
Uses of Sandstone
Slate
Slates are dense and fine grained metamorphic rocks. The colour of slates are generally gray, #d98603, brown and green ranging from dark to light. It is produced by the compression of clays, shale, and various other rocks developing a characteristic cleavage consisting sericite and quartz with biotite, chlorite, and hematite as principal accessories.
Physical Properties of Slate
Physically these are Metamorphic-Argillaceous rocks, which has developed a well-marked splittable cleavages with or without developed recrystallization & spots/knots of minerals like garnet, pyrite, andulasite, etc. They are normally fine to medium grained, moderately hard & compact, less homogeneous with varying textures & shades. It has an ability to split into thin layers along the plane of cleavages due to flattened & elongated minerals along the plane of cleavage.
Chemical Properties of Slate
Essentially mineral composition includes quartz, mica, chlorite, sericite & oxides of iron with occasional spots/knots of minerals like garnet, pyrite, andulasite, etc.
It is fairly resistant to acids and staining.