Argillite

Diorite

Argillite and Diorite

Argillite

Diorite

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Definition

Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate

Diorite is a grey to dark-grey intermediate intrusive igneous rock composed principally of plagioclase feldspar,biotite, hornblende, and pyroxene

History

Origin

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite

From early 19th century coined in French, formed irregularly from Greek diorizein distinguish

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic, Polished

Phaneritic

Color

Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Dull

Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Whetstones

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends

Creating Artwork, Curling

Types

Metamorphic rock

Plagioclase Diorite and Quartz Diorite

Features

Is one of the oldest rock

Typically speckled black and white.

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Absent

Formation

An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.

Diorite is a coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock which contains large interlocking and randomly oriented crystals and forms when molten lava does not reach the Earth’s surface and cools down in the Earth’s crust.

Composition

Mineral Content

Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz

Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon

Compound Content

Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

2-36-7

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

White to Grey

Bluish Black

Porosity

Highly Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Shiny

Compressive Strength

-225.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

2.6

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.56-2.682.8-3

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.54-2.66 g/cm³2.8-3 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.87 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Egypt

Europe

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Finland, Germany, Italy, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

South America

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia

New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Argillite and Diorite Properties

Know all about Argillite and Diorite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Argillite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Diorite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Argillite is Clastic, Polished whereas that of Diorite is Phaneritic. Argillite appears Rough and Dull and Diorite appears Shiny. The luster of Argillite is waxy and dull while that of Diorite is shiny. Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors whereas Diorite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors. The commercial uses of Argillite are fire resistant, used to manufracture paperweights and bookends and that of Diorite are creating artwork, curling.