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Argillite vs Dolomite


Dolomite 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  
Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
Southern Alps, France  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Dolomieu  

Etymology
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite  
From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Sedimentary Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Polished  
Earthy  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Rough and Dull  
Glassy or Pearly  

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, Office Buildings  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones  
-  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.  
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock  

Medical Industry
-  
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)  

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock  
Boninite and Jasperoid  

Features
Is one of the oldest rock  
Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

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.  
Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz  
Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides  

Compound Content
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide  
NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering  
-  

Erosion
Yes  
No  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion  
-  

Properties

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  
Less Porous  

Luster
Waxy and Dull  
Vitreous and Pearly  

Compressive Strength
-  
140.00 N/mm2  
23

Cleavage
Slaty  
Perfect  

Toughness
2.6  
1  

Specific Gravity
2.56-2.68  
2.8-3  

Transparency
Opaque  
Transparent to Translucent  

Density
2.54-2.66 g/cm3  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K  
14
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia  
China, India  

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

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

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Mexico, USA  

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Argillite vs Dolomite 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 Dolomite 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. Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight. 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 Dolomite information and Argillite vs Dolomite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Argillite vs Dolomite 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 Dolomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Argillite and Properties of Dolomite. Learn more about Argillite vs Dolomite in the next section. The interior uses of Argillite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Dolomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Argillite and Dolomite, 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 Dolomite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Production of glass and ceramics, Serves as an oil and gas reservoir rock.

More about Argillite and Dolomite

Here you can know more about Argillite and Dolomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Argillite and Dolomite 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 Dolomite includes Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Argillite vs Dolomite, 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, Dolomite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Argillite is Rough and Dull and that of Dolomite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Argillite vs Dolomite. The hardness of Argillite is 2-3 and that of Dolomite is 3.5-4. The types of Argillite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Dolomite are Boninite and Jasperoid. 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 Dolomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Dolomite is 0.92 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 Dolomite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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