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Argillite vs Gossan


Gossan 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  
Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
Indonesia  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Cornish Gossen  

Etymology
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite  
From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Polished  
Rough, Sandy  

Color
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White  
Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Rough and Dull  
Dull and Banded  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

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  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone  

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock  
Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan  

Features
Is one of the oldest rock  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Present  
Absent  

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.  
Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz  
Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon  

Compound Content
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering  
-  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2-3  
4-5  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Fine to Medium Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White to Grey  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Waxy and Dull  
Metallic  

Compressive Strength
-  
-  

Cleavage
Slaty  
-  

Toughness
2.6  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.56-2.68  
2.0  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.54-2.66 g/cm3  
-9999 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K  
14
0.24 kJ/Kg K  
31

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia  
China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea  

Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania  
Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa  

Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland  
Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Canada, USA  

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Argillite vs Gossan 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 Gossan 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. Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.. 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 Gossan information and Argillite vs Gossan characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Argillite and Gossan

Here you can know more about Argillite and Gossan. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Argillite and Gossan 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 Gossan includes Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Argillite vs Gossan, 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, Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust colors. Appearance of Argillite is Rough and Dull and that of Gossan is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Argillite vs Gossan. The hardness of Argillite is 2-3 and that of Gossan is 4-5. The types of Argillite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Gossan are Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Argillite and Gossan is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Gossan is 0.24 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 Gossan is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.

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