Soapstone vs Basalt

Soapstone vs Basalt Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Soapstone and Basalt Reserves. It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc. Basalt is a common extrusive igneous rock formed by the rapid cooling of basaltic lava exposed at or very near the surface of Earth. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Soapstone vs Basalt information and Soapstone vs Basalt characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Soapstone vs Basalt Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Soapstone vs Basalt characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Soapstone and Properties of Basalt. Learn more about Soapstone vs Basalt in the next section. The interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Basalt include Floor tiles, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Soapstone and Basalt, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Soapstone in construction industry include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Basalt include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cobblestones, Cutting tool, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Soapstone and Basalt

Here you can know more about Soapstone and Basalt. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Soapstone and Basalt consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Soapstone includes Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Basalt includes Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Soapstone vs Basalt, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas, Basalt is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Basalt is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Soapstone vs Basalt. The hardness of Soapstone is 1 and that of Basalt is 6. The types of Soapstone are Not Available whereas types of Basalt are Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB), Tholeiitic Basalt, Basaltic trachyandesite, Mugearite and Shoshonite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Soapstone is black while that of Basalt is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Basalt is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Basalt is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.