Travertine

Soapstone

Travertine vs Soapstone

Travertine

Soapstone

Add ⊕

1 Definition

1.1 Definition

Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters

It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Italy

USA

1.2.2 Discoverer

Marcus Vitruvius Pollio

Unknown

1.3 Etymology

From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy

From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap

1.4 Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Not Applicable

1.6 Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Banded

Polished

2.2 Color

Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow

Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

59% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

81% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

62% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

65% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

43% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

42% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

38% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

19% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

22% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

15% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !

2.5 Appearance

Fibrous

Dull, Banded and Foilated

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

3.1.3 Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

3.2 Industry

3.2.1 Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

3.2.2 Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

3.3 Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

4 Types

4.1 Types

Not Available

4.2 Features

Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock

Host Rock for Lead

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy

Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

4.3.3 Sculpture

Used

4.3.4 Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

4.3.5 Pictographs

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

4.4 Fossils

Present

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 Formation

Travertine is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock which then undergo sedimentation. They are then subjected to high temperature and pressure hence forming travertine rock.

Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.

5.2 Composition

5.2.1 Mineral Content

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

5.2.2 Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen

CaO, Mg, MgO

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

19% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

50% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

78% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

65% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Not Applicable

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

86% Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !

✔ ✘

77% Metamorphic Rocks Rocks have it !

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Not Applicable

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

3-4

6.1.2 Grain Size

Fine Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Splintery

Conchoidal

6.1.4 Streak

White

Black

6.1.5 Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Dull to Pearly

Greasy

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

Flint

⊕

▶

▼

80.00 N/mm²

Rank: 23 (Overall)▶

225.00 N/mm²

Rank: 7 (Overall)▶

▲

Obsidian

⊕

▶

175 (Granite)

◀ ▶ ADD ⊕

6.1.8 Cleavage

Non-Existent

Perfect

6.1.9 Toughness

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

1.68

2.86

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.71 g/cm³

2.8-2.9 g/cm³

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

Banded iron for..

⊕

▶

▼

1.09 kJ/Kg K

Rank: 8 (Overall)▶

0.88 kJ/Kg K

Rank: 13 (Overall)▶

▲

Granulite

⊕

▶

1.09 (Travertine)

◀ ▶ ADD ⊕

6.2.2 Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

China, Russia

China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand

7.1.2 Africa

Not Yet Found

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

7.1.3 Europe

Austria, Italy, Portugal, United Kingdom

Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

7.1.4 Others

Not Yet Found

7.2 Deposits in Western Continents

7.2.1 North America

Canada, USA

7.2.2 South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Ecuador

Colombia

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

Not Yet Found

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland

Travertine vs Soapstone 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 Travertine and Soapstone Reserves. Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters. It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc. 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 Travertine vs Soapstone information and Travertine vs Soapstone characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Sedimentary Rocks » More

Travertine vs Oolite

Travertine vs Oil shale

Travertine vs Laterite

» More

More Compare Sedimentary Rocks

Travertine vs Soapstone 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. Travertine vs Soapstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Travertine and Properties of Soapstone. Learn more about Travertine vs Soapstone in the next section. The interior uses of Travertine include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Travertine and Soapstone, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Travertine in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Soapstone include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.

More about Travertine and Soapstone

Here you can know more about Travertine and Soapstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Travertine and Soapstone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Soapstone includes Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Travertine vs Soapstone, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors. Appearance of Travertine is Fibrous and that of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Travertine vs Soapstone. The hardness of Travertine is 3-4 and that of Soapstone is 1. The types of Travertine are Not Available whereas types of Soapstone are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Travertine is white while that of Soapstone is black. The specific heat capacity of Travertine is 1.09 kJ/Kg K and that of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Travertine is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant.