Argillite

Wackestone

Argillite and Wackestone

Argillite

Wackestone

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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

A carbonate rock which is matrix supported and contains over 10% allochems in a carbonate mud matrix.

History

Origin

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

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

From the English mud and stone, from low German mudde and stainaz

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic, Polished

Clastic

Color

Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Roof Tiles

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

Cemetery Markers, Pottery

Types

Metamorphic rock

Marl, Shale and Argillite

Features

Is one of the oldest rock

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

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.

Wackestone is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. These particles settle down and are then compacted due to high temperature and pressure hence forming Wackestone.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

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, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

2-32-3

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal to Uneven

Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull

Dull

Compressive Strength

-225.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Slaty

Perfect

Toughness

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.56-2.682.2-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.54-2.66 g/cm³2.4-2.8 g/cm³

0 1400

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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 Wackestone Properties

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