Marble
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Marble, 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.
Impurities present in the limestone during the recrystallization period affect the mineral composition of the marble which is formed. At relatively low temperatures, silica impurities in the carbonate minerals form masses of chert or crystals of quartz. At higher temperatures, the silica reacts with the carbonates to produce diopside and forsterite. At a very high temperatures, rarer calcium minerals, such as larnite, monticellite, and rankinite, forms in the marble. If water is present, serpentine, talc, and certain other hydrous minerals may be produced. The presence of iron, alumina, and silica may result in the formation of hematite and magnetite.
The minerals that result from impurities give marble a wide variety of colors. The purest calcite marble is white in colour. Marble containing hematite are reddish in color. Marble that has limonite is yellow, and marble with serpentine is green in colour.
Marble does not split easily into sheets of equal size and must be mined with care. The rock may shatter if explosives are used. Blocks of marble are mined with channeling machines, which cut grooves and holes in the rock. Miners outline a block of marble with rows of grooves and holes. They then drive wedges into the openings and separate the block from the surrounding rock. The blocks are cut with saws to the desired shape and size.
- Marble Slabs: Marble slabs are fabricated by the sawing of marble blocks in the desired thickness. They are used for wall cladding and as building stones they occupy a unique position. Owing to their pleasing colors, aesthetic appeal, excellent polish and durability, marble slabs are widely used as counter tops, table tops, kitchen tops and vanities.