Home
Compare Rocks


Argillite vs Pseudotachylite


Pseudotachylite 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  
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
USA  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite  
From pseudo- +‎ tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Polished  
Quench  

Color
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Appearance
Rough and Dull  
Dull and Soft  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Monuments  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends  
Creating Artwork, Gemstone  

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock  
Cataclastic rock  

Features
Is one of the oldest rock  
Host Rock for Lead  

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.  
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz  
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides  

Compound Content
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide  
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering  
-  

Erosion
Yes  
No  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion  
-  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2-3  
7  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Very fine-grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven  
Uneven  

Streak
White to Grey  
Light to dark brown  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Waxy and Dull  
Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
-  
60.00 N/mm2  
37

Cleavage
Slaty  
-  

Toughness
2.6  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.56-2.68  
2.46-2.86  

Transparency
Opaque  
Transparent to Translucent  

Density
2.54-2.66 g/cm3  
2.7-2.9 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K  
14
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  
Heat Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia  
South Korea  

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

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

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
-  

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Definition >>
<< All

Argillite vs Pseudotachylite 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 Pseudotachylite 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. Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.. 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 Pseudotachylite information and Argillite vs Pseudotachylite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

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

More about Argillite and Pseudotachylite

Here you can know more about Argillite and Pseudotachylite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Argillite and Pseudotachylite 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 Pseudotachylite includes Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Argillite vs Pseudotachylite, 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, Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Argillite is Rough and Dull and that of Pseudotachylite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Argillite vs Pseudotachylite. The hardness of Argillite is 2-3 and that of Pseudotachylite is 7. The types of Argillite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Pseudotachylite are Cataclastic rock. 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 Pseudotachylite is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Pseudotachylite is 0.92 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 Pseudotachylite is heat resistant.

Sedimentary Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

» More Sedimentary Rocks

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

» More Compare Sedimentary Rocks