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Argillite vs Limestone


Limestone 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   
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
New Zealand   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Belsazar Hacquet   

Etymology
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite   
From lime and stone in late 14th Century   

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   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Polished   
Clastic or Non-Clastic   

Color
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White   
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

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   
Rough and Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics   

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends   
Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa   

Features
Is one of the oldest rock   
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
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.   
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz   
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2-3   
3-4   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven   
Splintery   

Streak
White to Grey   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Waxy and Dull   
Dull to Pearly   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
115.00 N/mm2   
18

Cleavage
Slaty   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
2.6   
1   

Specific Gravity
2.56-2.68   
2.3-2.7   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.54-2.66 g/cm3   
2.3-2.7 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K   
14
0.91 kJ/Kg K   
11

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   
Pressure 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   
United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
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, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula   

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Argillite vs Limestone 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 Limestone 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. Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. 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 Limestone information and Argillite vs Limestone characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Argillite vs Limestone 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 Limestone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Argillite and Properties of Limestone. Learn more about Argillite vs Limestone in the next section. The interior uses of Argillite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Argillite and Limestone, 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 Limestone include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium.

More about Argillite and Limestone

Here you can know more about Argillite and Limestone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Argillite and Limestone 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 Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Argillite vs Limestone, 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, Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Argillite is Rough and Dull and that of Limestone is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Argillite vs Limestone. The hardness of Argillite is 2-3 and that of Limestone is 3-4. The types of Argillite are Not Available whereas types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa. 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 Limestone is white. The specific heat capacity of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Limestone is 0.91 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 Limestone is pressure resistant.

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