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
  
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
  
History
  
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite
  
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Family
  
  
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
  
Foliated, Platy
  
Color
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White
  
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Appearance
Rough and Dull
  
Layered and Shiny
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
  
Not Yet Used
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends
  
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
  
Types
Not Available
  
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
  
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
  
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
  
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
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
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.
  
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
  
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
  
Compound Content
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
  
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
2-3
  
3.5-4
  
Grain Size
Fine Grained
  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White to Grey
  
White
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Highly Porous
  
Luster
Waxy and Dull
  
Shiny
  
Cleavage
Slaty
  
Slaty
  
Toughness
2.6
  
1.5
  
Specific Gravity
2.56-2.68
  
2.5-2.9
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.54-2.66 g/cm3
  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K
  
14
Not Available
  
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
  
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
  
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
USA
  
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
  
South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
  
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
  
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland