What minerals does marble mainly consist of? What is the difference in composition between marble and granite?
Publish Time: 2024-08-26
What minerals are marble mainly composed of?
Marble is mainly composed of calcium carbonate, which exists in the form of calcite (CaCO3), which accounts for 50% to 75% of the marble composition. Calcite is a white or colorless crystalline mineral with the chemical formula CaCO3. In addition to calcite, marble may also contain small amounts of other minerals such as mica, quartz, gypsum, pyrite, etc. The content and type of these minerals will vary depending on the geological environment, affecting the color, veins and texture of the marble.
What is the difference between marble and granite in composition?
There are significant differences in the composition of marble and granite:
Marble: As mentioned above, marble is mainly composed of calcium carbonate (calcite), which is usually above 50%. This high calcium carbonate content makes marble relatively low in hardness and sensitive to acidic substances, making it prone to corrosion.
Granite: Granite is an igneous rock composed mainly of minerals such as quartz, feldspar and mica. Quartz occupies about 25% to 35% of the volume, feldspar occupies about 40% to 60% of the volume, and mica occupies about 5% to 10% of the volume. The combination of these minerals gives granite high hardness and durability, and also gives it a rich variety of colors and textures. Granite's acidic plagioclase and other mineral components make it more physically and chemically stable and able to resist erosion and damage in various natural environments.
The differences in composition between marble and granite are mainly reflected in the main mineral components and their content. These differences lead to significant differences in hardness, durability, corrosion resistance, color and texture.
