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
A water-soluble mineral sediment resulting from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution
Discoverer
Unknown
Usiglio
Etymology
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite
From a sediment left after the evaporation
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Polished
Earthy
Color
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White
Colourless, Green, Grey, Silver, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing
Construction Industry
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends
Used in the manufacture of Ceramic Powder, Used in the preparation of Sulfuric Acid and Silicon Diborite
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
Generally rough to touch, Splintery, Veined
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
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.
Evaporite is water-soluble mineral sediment which forms from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite
Compound Content
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
CaMg(CO3)2, CaO, Calcium Sulfate, KCl, MgO, NaCl
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven
Conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Toughness
2.6
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.56-2.68
2.86-2.99
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
2.54-2.66 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Not Available
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Not Available
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Colombia, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia