Granite, the hard igneous rock Granite is a very hard crystalline, igneous or metamorphic rock primarily composed of feldspar, quartz and lesser amounts of dark minerals. It is visibly crystalline in texture. This igneous rock is created deep within the earth from magma, cooled slowly under great pressure. Granite, the hardest building stone has very dense grain which make it impervious to stain. Granite is available in a wide array of colors. ... http://www.squidoo.com/granitesupplier Sat, 26 Jul 2008 20:04:18 -0600 FeedCreator 1.7.2 Fri, 09 May 2008 05:03:04 -0600 http://www.squidoo.com/granitesupplier Granite, the hard igneous rock Granite is a very hard crystalline, igneous or metamorphic rock primarily composed of feldspar, quartz and lesser amounts of dark minerals. It is visibly crystalline in texture. This igneous rock is created deep within the earth from magma, cooled slowly under great pressure. Granite, the hardest building stone has very dense grain which make it impervious to stain. Granite is available in a wide array of colors. varieties of different colors and textures such as black, grey, pink, multi colored etc. Uses It is used as a building material is used for wall cladding, roofing and flooring and a variety of other interior and exterior applications. Granite Chemical Properties Granite is primarily composed of feldspar, quartz along with various other minerals in varying percentage,which are stated as follows: Nominal chemical composition of various oxides Silica(SiO2) ---------------------- 70-77% Alumina(Al2O3) ----------------- 11- 14% Potassium Oxide(P2O5) --------- 3 - 5% Soda(Na2O) ------------------------ 3 - 5% Lime ----------------------------------- 1% Iron(Fe2O3) -------------------------- 1-2% Iron(FeO) ----------------------------- 1 - 3% Magnesia(Mg0) ------------------------- .5 - 1% Titina ---------------------------------- Less than 1%(.38%) Water(H2O) --------------------------- 0.03% Granite Physical Properties In terms of its physical properties granite is a unique material. These properties lending uniqueness to granite are: Porosity/permeability Granite has almost negligible porosity ranging between 0.2 to 4%. Thermal Stability Granite is highly stable thermally, therefore shows no changes with the change in temperature. Granite is impervious to weathering from temperature and even from the air borne chemicals. It is the high resistance to chemical erosion that makes granite useful for making tanks to store highly caustic material. Co-efficient of expansion The co-efficient of expansion for granite varies from 4.7x10-6 - 9.0x10-6(inch x inch). Variegation Granite shows consistency in color and texture. Hardness It is the hardest building stone and hardness of granite that lends it excellent wear. Fri, 09 May 2008 05:03:04 -0600