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Argillite vs Banded iron formation


Banded iron formation vs Argillite


Definition

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   
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
Western Australia, Minnesota   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

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

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Sedimentary 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, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Polished   
Banded, Trellis   

Color
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White   
Red, Reddish Brown   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Rough and Dull   
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   
Paving Stone, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones   
Curbing, Whetstones   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   

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   
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite   

Features
Is one of the oldest rock   
Is one of the oldest rock   

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   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Present   
Present   

Formation

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.   
The banded iron layers are formed in sea water when oxygen is released by photosynthetic cyano-bacteria. The oxygen then combines with dissolved iron in ocean to form insoluble iron oxides, which precipitated out, forming a thin layer of banded iron formation on ocean floor.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz   
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz   

Compound Content
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide   
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering   
Chemical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion   
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2-3   
5.5-6   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Large and Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven   
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   

Streak
White to Grey   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Waxy and Dull   
Earthy   

Cleavage
Slaty   
Imperfect   

Toughness
2.6   
1.5   

Specific Gravity
2.56-2.68   
5.0-5.3   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
2.54-2.66 g/cm3   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K   
14
3.20 kJ/Kg K   
1

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia   
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam   

Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland   
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   
Bolivia, Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Argillite vs Banded iron formation Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Argillite and Banded iron formation Reserves. 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. Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Argillite vs Banded iron formation information and Argillite vs Banded iron formation characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Argillite vs Banded iron formation Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Argillite vs Banded iron formation characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Argillite and Properties of Banded iron formation. Learn more about Argillite vs Banded iron formation in the next section. The interior uses of Argillite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Argillite and Banded iron formation, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Argillite in construction industry include Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills. and that of Banded iron formation include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..

More about Argillite and Banded iron formation

Here you can know more about Argillite and Banded iron formation. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Argillite and Banded iron formation consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Argillite includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz and mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Argillite vs Banded iron formation, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors whereas, Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Argillite is Rough and Dull and that of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Argillite vs Banded iron formation. The hardness of Argillite is 2-3 and that of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6. The types of Argillite are Not Available whereas types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Argillite is white to grey while that of Banded iron formation is white. The specific heat capacity of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Argillite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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