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
Pantellerite is a peralkaline rhyolite. It has a higher iron and lower aluminium composition than comendite
History
Origin
-
Strait of sicily
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite
From Pantelleria, a volcanic island in the Strait of Sicily
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Volcanic
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Polished
Eutaxitic
Color
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White
Dark Greenish - Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Layered and Foliated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
-
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
-
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones
-
Industry
Construction Industry
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
-
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends
Creating Artwork
Types
Metamorphic rock
Pantelleritic Ignimbrite
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
High Fe content
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
-
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
-
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
Absent
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.
Pantellerite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.
Composition
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Amphibole, Feldspar, Ilmenite
Compound Content
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Al, Fe
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
2-36-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven
Sub-conchoidal
Streak
White to Grey
-
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Earthy
Compressive Strength
-210.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Slaty
Conchoidal
Toughness
2.6
2
Specific Gravity
2.56-2.68-9999
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.54-2.66 g/cm3-9999 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K0.84 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
China, India
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
Central Australia, Queensland, Western Australia