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Argillite vs Pegmatite


Pegmatite 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  
Pegmatite rock is a holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is composed of interlocking phaneritic crystals  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
-  

Discoverer
Unknown  
R. J. Hauy  

Etymology
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite  
From Greek pegma, pegmat which means- thing joined together + -ite  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
Plutonic  

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Polished  
Pegmatitic  

Color
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White  
Black, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow  

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  
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends  
Creating Artwork, Jewelry, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz  

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock  
Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite  

Features
Is one of the oldest rock  
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz  

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.  
Pegmatite rock is holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is formed by partial melting and dewatering during the process of metamorphism.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz  
Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz  

Compound Content
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, Phosphorus Pentoxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

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, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2-3  
7  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Medium to Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White to Grey  
White  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Waxy and Dull  
Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
-  
178.54 N/mm2  
19

Cleavage
Slaty  
Perfect  

Toughness
2.6  
2.1  

Specific Gravity
2.56-2.68  
2.6-2.63  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent to Opaque  

Density
2.54-2.66 g/cm3  
2.6-2.65 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K  
14
0.79 kJ/Kg K  
17

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia  
China, India, Iran, Japan, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea  

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

Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland  
Austria, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Canada  

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, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia  

Definition >>
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Argillite vs Pegmatite 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 Pegmatite 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. Pegmatite rock is a holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is composed of interlocking phaneritic crystals. 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 Pegmatite information and Argillite vs Pegmatite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Argillite and Pegmatite

Here you can know more about Argillite and Pegmatite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Argillite and Pegmatite 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 Pegmatite includes Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Argillite vs Pegmatite, 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, Pegmatite is available in black, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Argillite is Rough and Dull and that of Pegmatite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Argillite vs Pegmatite. The hardness of Argillite is 2-3 and that of Pegmatite is 7. The types of Argillite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Pegmatite are Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite. 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 Pegmatite is white. The specific heat capacity of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Pegmatite is 0.79 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 Pegmatite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.

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