Marble facts and uses

Marble is a metamorphic rock that developed from limestone. Most of the material is calcite (a crystalline form of calcium carbonate, CaCO3) and dolomite. It is often used for sculpture, as a building material, and for many other purposes.

Even marble dust can be added to some synthetic resins or cement and manufactured into cultured or reconstituted marble.

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Marble has been an important part of the construction trade for thousands of years. It was widely used by both Greek and Roman sculptors and architects. Marble is also a popular choice for Marble Headstones. Find out more about Marble Headstones a site like Abbey Memorials.

Marble in construction

In the construction trade, the word marble is used to describe large, crystalline calcitic and some non-calcitic rocks that are commonly used as stone for building.

Purbeck marble comes from a limestone fossil that has been excavated since Roman times in the Isle of Purbeck, a peninsula in Dorset, England. It was used in ornamental stone buildings. The industry is no longer active.

The Pieta

Carrara marble is the original marble. It is white or blue-gray and high-quality, popularly used in sculpture and building decoration. It is excavated in the town of Carrara in Lunigiana, the northernmost tip of modern Tuscany, Italy.

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Marble in industrial use

Marble of different colours contain pure levels of calcium carbonate, which is used in various industries. Marble powder, which is ground finely is a major component in toothpaste and paint, for example. It is also possible to reduce Calcium carbonate using a high temperature of calcium oxide (also known as “lime”), which has a wide range of uses including being a major component of cement.

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