For those who thought that chemical reactions only occurred in the laboratory, a surprise: nature can act and provoke the most different reactions, such as mixing substances and collaborating with chemical transformations of compounds natural.
Marble is a witness to this event. Also known as metamorphic rock, it comes from the chemical modification of limestone and the environment where it is found. The process is known as metamorphism and is a response of rocks and minerals to pressure and heat. The name is appropriate, as the term metamorphism is a variant combination of the words "goal” (transformation) and "morph" (shape), that is, marble is formed from the physical-chemical transformation undergone by limestone at high temperatures and pressure. The proof of this is that the largest deposits of marble are found in regions of volcanic activity and that they have limestone matrix. This origin explains the definition of metamorphic rock given to marble.
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The temperature at which the limestone is found is defined as the metamorphic degree and, together with the composition chemistry of the mineral, shapes the rock giving rise to varied colors (pink, white, greenish, black) and different textures. These characteristics make marble a profitable material in the ornamental stone industry.
Marble Applications: used in decorations, in the making of ornamental objects and sculptures. In civil construction, it is applied to objects for home use, such as floors, tables and kitchen countertops.
The highest concentrations of metamorphic rock in Brazil are in the state of Espírito Santo, and consequently, the largest production of ornamental marble objects in the country belongs to that state.
By Líria Alves
Graduated in Chemistry
Would you like to reference this text in a school or academic work? Look:
SOUZA, Líria Alves de. "Marble: chemical reaction in nature"; Brazil School. Available in: https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/quimica/marmore-reacao-quimica-na-natureza.htm. Accessed on June 28, 2021.
