Argillite

Hornfels

Argillite and Hornfels

Argillite

Hornfels

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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

Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock

History

Origin

New Zealand

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

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

From German which means hornstone

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic, Polished

Granular, Platy

Color

Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White

Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Dull

Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Whetstones

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

for Road Aggregate, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Metamorphic rock

Biotite hornfels

Features

Is one of the oldest rock

Smooth to touch

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.

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Andalusite

Compound Content

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

Fe, Mg

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

2-32-3

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal to Uneven

Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Shiny

Compressive Strength

-5.80 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Perfect

Toughness

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.56-2.683.4-3.9

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.54-2.66 g/cm³0.25-0.30 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, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa

Europe

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

United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, USA

South America

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia

All about Argillite and Hornfels Properties

Know all about Argillite and Hornfels properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Argillite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Hornfels belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Argillite is Clastic, Polished whereas that of Hornfels is Granular, Platy. Argillite appears Rough and Dull and Hornfels appears Dull. The luster of Argillite is waxy and dull while that of Hornfels is shiny. Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors whereas Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors. The commercial uses of Argillite are fire resistant, used to manufracture paperweights and bookends and that of Hornfels are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork.