People in the building materials industry should be familiar with the commonly used basalt and andesite,but few know the difference between them.Next,let's briefly understand the difference between them:
Basalt and andesite are both produced in the same tectonic environment,while andesite is also produced in non tectonic environments such as mid ocean ridges and intraplate rifts.Basalt belongs to basic volcanic rocks,while andesite is a type of lava widely distributed in intermediate acidic volcanic rocks.The former has a silica content ranging from 45%to 52%,while the latter ranges from 53%to 63%.The basalt series can be divided into sub alkaline series basalt and alkaline series basalt.The sub alkaline series basalt can be divided into the tholeiite series and the calcium alkaline series,while andesite belongs to the sub alkaline series volcanic rock,and its composition is equivalent to the corresponding intrusive diorite.The former has porphyry structure,mesocrystalline structure,blocky structure,and almond shaped structure,while andesite has porphyry structure,interlaced structure,pore structure,and almond shaped structure.
Usually,when we use basalt and andesite,we should choose their usage environment and use them as a whole to extend their later service life.