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 ganister is a hard, fine-grained quartzose sandstone or orthoquartzite which is basically used in the manufacture of silica brick typically used to line furnaces and is a type of sedimentary rocks.
History
Origin
-
England
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite
From gan′is-ter i.e a hard, close-grained siliceous stone, often forming the stratum which underlies a coal-seam
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Polished
Clastic, Granular, Rough
Color
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White
Beige, Black, Brown, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Rough
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
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, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Types
Metamorphic rock
Siliceous rock
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
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.
Ganisters are formed by the destruction of easily weathered minerals mainly feldspar, within the surface horizon of soil by soil-forming processes.
Composition
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
2-36-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse or Fine
Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven
Splintery
Streak
White to Grey
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Dull
Compressive Strength
-95.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Slaty
Perfect
Toughness
2.6
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.56-2.682.2-2.8
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.54-2.66 g/cm32.2-2.8 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
-
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand