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Argillite
Argillite

Diatomite
Diatomite



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Argillite
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Diatomite

Argillite vs Diatomite

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
Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth

History

Origin

Unknown
Germany

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite
From diatom + -ite1

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Not Applicable
Not Applicable

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Clastic, Polished
Clastic or Non-Clastic

Color

Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White
Grey, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Non-Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Rough and Dull
Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

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

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium

Medical Industry

Not Available
Not Available

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends
Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Types

Types

Not Available
Not Available

Features

Is one of the oldest rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used
Not Yet Used

Famous Monuments

Not Available
Not Applicable

Sculpture

Used
Not Yet Used

Famous Sculptures

Not Available
Not Applicable

Pictographs

Used
Used

Petroglyphs

Used
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.
Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.

Composition

Mineral Content

Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand

Compound Content

Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Ca, NaCl, CaO

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Not Applicable
Not Applicable

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

2-31
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal to Uneven
Not Available

Streak

White to Grey
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull
Dull

Compressive Strength

NANA
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty
Not Available

Toughness

2.6
1

Specific Gravity

2.56-2.682.3-2.4
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.54-2.66 g/cm32.49-2.51 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.87 kJ/Kg K0.90 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Europe

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom

Others

Not Available
Not Available

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA
Canada, USA

South America

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula

Argillite vs Diatomite 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 Diatomite 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. Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth. 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 Diatomite information and Argillite vs Diatomite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Argillite vs Diatomite 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 Diatomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Argillite and Properties of Diatomite. Learn more about Argillite vs Diatomite in the next section. The interior uses of Argillite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Diatomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Argillite and Diatomite, 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 Diatomite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium.

More about Argillite and Diatomite

Here you can know more about Argillite and Diatomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Argillite and Diatomite 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 Diatomite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Argillite vs Diatomite, 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, Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Argillite is Rough and Dull and that of Diatomite is Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Argillite vs Diatomite. The hardness of Argillite is 2-3 and that of Diatomite is 1. The types of Argillite are Not Available whereas types of Diatomite are Not Available. 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 Diatomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Diatomite is 0.90 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 Diatomite is heat resistant.