Basalt is an igneous rock mafic that is made from extensive of iron-rich and magnesium-rich lava, which is near or exposed at the surface of the moon and terrestrial planet. At least 90percenr of volcanic rock on the earth’s surface is basalt.in addition, it is a major component of ocean crust and common volcanic rock in most ocean islands such as the Faroe Islands, Hawaii, reunion, and Iceland. It has common features like a glassy matrix or fine-grained that is mixed with seen mineral grains. Basalt has less silica content; thus, the viscosity is low, and it leads to a rapid flow of lava. This lava spread over on great areas prior to solidification and cooling. Flood basalt defines the formation of the flow of lava basalt in a series. Below are the common uses of basalt.
1. Construction
The most major use of basalt today is as aggregate. They are crushed and used in construction work like asphalt paving, concrete aggregate, and as agents of filtering rocks. Basalt is used as aggregate so as to increase the concrete strength. Moreover, you can cut basalt slubs into parts and use them as covering or flooring veneers.
2. Remove carbon dioxide
Basalt is a means of getting rid of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. This is a naturally slow process where carbon dioxide and mineral bind together chemically. The technology sector has helped by using basalt to limit climate risk.
3. Decoration
Basalt is an excellent stone for interior decoration. They are mostly used as panels for walls, worktops, countertops, and fireplaces. The most notable feature of basalt is the property for insulating. Additionally, basalt has the best thermal protection, unlike some organic substances, when it comes to thermal property. It does not have toxic hazards, and it has more than three times of heat insulation value than asbestos. Also, the friction characteristic is a great choice over asbestos.
4. Produce pipes
The melted composites of basalts can be used in the production of pipes. Basalt has a higher tensile strength compared to fiberglass and carbon fiber, but it is lesser than steel carbon.
5. Making monuments
A monument is a structure with three dimensions and is made to commemorate an event or person. It has become an important social group as a way of remembering culture, historic times because of politics, technology, art, and architecture. Examples of monuments are historical buildings, cultural assets, memorials, archaeological sites, and statues. A monument is put as a world heritage site in case there is a public interest in preserving. The first monuments to be made for religious purposes were megalithic, menhirs, and domains. To add to that, basalt is the most popular material for creating monuments. It is used in view of property like grey color and the fine grain.
6. Make Rosetta stone
Rosetta is a granodiorite stele that was discovered in Memphis, Egypt, in 1799. This was during the reign of Ptolemaic, who ruled on behalf of Ptolemy Epiphanies. Ancient Egyptians used hieroglyphics in writing scripts. Therefore, rosetta stone became the key to hieroglyphics and resulted in the history of ancient history. The basalt is used to make Rosetta stone.
7. Making jewelry
Jewelry are decorated items that are worn for self-adornment, including necklace, bracelets, earrings, rings, cufflinks, brooches, and cufflinks. During the period of German and roman empires, basalt was used widely in making vases and jewelry into beautiful columns.
