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Rocks (of any type" and "wear and tear" don't really go together in my mind. Is this something on the order of jewel bushings in low speed mechanical clockwork?

I can't think of a lot of applications where I'd want any sort of rock as my bearing material but maybe I'm thinking too big.

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Not bearings, this is "wear and tear" as in abrasion resistance. Cast basalt is used to create abrasion resistant pipes and flooring.

Yeah, stainless steel pipes are used to carry ash slurry away from thermal power plants (especially in China and India). Cast basalt lining increases the lifetime of the pipes by reducing abrasion.

In the original article, "wear and tear" refers to chemical/corrosion resistance.

Considering the reactivity of most textiles compared to something like glass, I would imagine this has tons of utility anywhere you might need a textile in a chemical application.

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