Definition
Anthracite is a type of sedimentary rock which is hard and is variety of coal that has high luster
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Origin
Pennsylvania, U.S.
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Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek anthrakites, from anthrax, anthrak meaning coal
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Amorphous, Glassy
Banded, Rough
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
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Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
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As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
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Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Medical Industry
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Manufacture of Aspirins
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Antiquity Uses
-
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Semi-anthracite and Meta-anthracite
Chert and Jasper
Features
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Anthracite forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. When plant debris dies and falls into the swamp, the standing water of the swamp protects it from decay.
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals
Silicon
Compound Content
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
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Types of Erosion
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Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
1.25-2.5 g/cm3
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
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Europe
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Bolivia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
New Zealand, South Australia
Anthracite vs Flint 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. Anthracite vs Flint characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Anthracite and Properties of Flint. Learn more about Anthracite vs Flint in the next section. The interior uses of Anthracite include whereas the interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Anthracite and Flint, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Anthracite in construction industry include Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel production and that of Flint include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points.
More about Anthracite and Flint
Here you can know more about Anthracite and Flint. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Anthracite and Flint consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Anthracite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals and mineral content of Flint includes Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Anthracite vs Flint, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Anthracite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors whereas, Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Anthracite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Flint is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Anthracite vs Flint. The hardness of Anthracite is 1-1.5 and that of Flint is 7. The types of Anthracite are Semi-anthracite and Meta-anthracite whereas types of Flint are Chert and Jasper. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Anthracite is black while that of Flint is white. The specific heat capacity of Anthracite is 1.32 kJ/Kg K and that of Flint is 0.74 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Anthracite is heat resistant, water resistant whereas Flint is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.