Amphibolite

Soapstone

Amphibolite vs Soapstone

Amphibolite

Soapstone

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1 Definition

1.1 Definition

Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase

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

1.2 History

1.2.1 Origin

Unknown

USA

1.2.2 Discoverer

Alexandre Brongniart

Unknown

1.3 Etymology

From Amphibole + -ite

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

1.4 Class

Metamorphic Rocks

1.4.1 Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

1.5 Family

1.5.1 Group

Not Applicable

1.6 Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

2 Texture

2.1 Texture

Banded, Foliated, Massive

Polished

2.2 Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey

Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey

2.3 Maintenance

Less

2.4 Durability

Durable

2.4.1 Water Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.2 Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.3 Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.4 Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

2.4.5 Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

2.5 Appearance

Foliated

Dull, Banded and Foilated

3 Uses

3.1 Architecture

3.1.1 Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

3.1.2 Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, 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, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Roadstone

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, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

3.4 Other Uses

3.4.1 Commercial Uses

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

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

Hornblendite

Not Available

4.2 Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Matrix variable, Surfaces are often shiny

Host Rock for Lead

4.3 Archaeological Significance

4.3.1 Monuments

Used

4.3.2 Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

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

Not Used

Used

4.3.6 Petroglyphs

Not Used

Used

4.3.7 Figurines

Used

4.4 Fossils

Absent

5 Formation

5.1 Formation

Amphibolite is a coarse-grained metamorphic rock which forms by metamorphism of mafic igneous rocks like basalt and gabbro or from the metamorphism of clay-rich sedimentary rocks like marl or graywacke.

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

Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite

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

5.2.2 Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

CaO, Mg, MgO

5.3 Transformation

5.3.1 Metamorphism

✔ ✘

5.3.2 Types of Metamorphism

Not Applicable

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

5.3.3 Weathering

✔ ✘

5.3.4 Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Not Applicable

5.3.5 Erosion

✔ ✘

5.3.6 Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Not Applicable

6 Properties

6.1 Physical Properties

6.1.1 Hardness

6-71

1 7

6.1.2 Grain Size

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

6.1.3 Fracture

Irregular to Conchoidal

Conchoidal

6.1.4 Streak

White to Grey

Black

6.1.5 Porosity

Less Porous

6.1.6 Luster

Vitreous to Dull

Greasy

6.1.7 Compressive Strength

NA225.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

6.1.8 Cleavage

Irregular

Perfect

6.1.9 Toughness

2.3

6.1.10 Specific Gravity

2.52.86

0 8.4

6.1.11 Transparency

Opaque

6.1.12 Density

2.85-3.07 g/cm³2.8-2.9 g/cm³

0 1400

6.2 Thermal Properties

6.2.1 Specific Heat Capacity

NA0.88 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

6.2.2 Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

7 Reserves

7.1 Deposits in Eastern Continents

7.1.1 Asia

Russia, Turkey

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

7.1.2 Africa

Burundi, Djibouti, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

7.1.3 Europe

Germany, Greece, Iceland, Norway, Poland

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

Brazil

Colombia

7.3 Deposits in Oceania Continent

7.3.1 Australia

South Australia, Western Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland

Amphibolite 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 Amphibolite and Soapstone Reserves. Amphibolite can be defined as a granular metamorphic rock which mainly consist of hornblende and plagioclase. 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 Amphibolite vs Soapstone information and Amphibolite vs Soapstone characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Amphibolite 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. Amphibolite vs Soapstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Amphibolite and Properties of Soapstone. Learn more about Amphibolite vs Soapstone in the next section. The interior uses of Amphibolite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Amphibolite and Soapstone, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Amphibolite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cobblestones, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Production of glass and ceramics, Roadstone and that of Soapstone include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.

More about Amphibolite and Soapstone

Here you can know more about Amphibolite and Soapstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Amphibolite and Soapstone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Amphibolite includes Amphibole, Andalusite, Biotite, Calcite, Epidote, Garnet, Hornblade, Kyanite, Magnetite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Staurolite, Wollastonite 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 Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Amphibolite vs Soapstone, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Amphibolite is available in black, brown, green, grey colors whereas, Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors. Appearance of Amphibolite is Foliated and that of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Amphibolite vs Soapstone. The hardness of Amphibolite is 6-7 and that of Soapstone is 1. The types of Amphibolite are Hornblendite 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 Amphibolite is white to grey while that of Soapstone is black. The specific heat capacity of Amphibolite is Not Available 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.Amphibolite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant.