Argillite

Shale

Argillite and Shale

Argillite

Shale

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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

Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles

History

Origin

Discoverer

Unknown

Johann Gottlob Lehmann

Etymology

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

From German Schalstein laminated limestone, and Schalgebirge layer of stone in stratified rock. From Old English scealu in its base sense of- thing that divides or separate,

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic, Polished

Clastic, Splintery

Color

Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White

Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Dull

Muddy

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Whetstones

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

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

Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends

Creating Artwork, Pottery

Types

Metamorphic rock

Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale

Features

Is one of the oldest rock

Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Jantar Mantar in India

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

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.

Shale forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settle at the bottom of water bodies. They are later compacted hence forming shale.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides

Compound Content

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

Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

2-33

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Dull

Compressive Strength

-95.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.56-2.682.2-2.8

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.54-2.66 g/cm³2.4-2.8 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.87 kJ/Kg K0.39 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

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

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

South America

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

All about Argillite and Shale Properties

Know all about Argillite and Shale properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Argillite and Shale belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Argillite is Clastic, Polished whereas that of Shale is Clastic, Splintery. Argillite appears Rough and Dull and Shale appears Muddy. The luster of Argillite is waxy and dull while that of Shale is dull. Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors whereas Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Argillite are fire resistant, used to manufracture paperweights and bookends and that of Shale are creating artwork, pottery.