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Argillite vs Serpentinite


Serpentinite 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  
A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
USA  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite  
From English word serpentinization.  

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, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Polished  
Earthy  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Rough and Dull  
Rough and Dull  

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, 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, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture  
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

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

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock  
Jadeitite  

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. Serpentinite 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  
Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

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

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering  
-  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2-3  
3-5  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Very fine-grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven  
Uneven  

Streak
White to Grey  
White, Greenish White or Grey  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Waxy and Dull  
Waxy and Dull  

Compressive Strength
-  
310.00 N/mm2  
2

Cleavage
Slaty  
-  

Toughness
2.6  
7  

Specific Gravity
2.56-2.68  
2.79-3  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.54-2.66 g/cm3  
2.5-3 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K  
14
0.95 kJ/Kg K  
9

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  
Heat Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia  
India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea  

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

Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland  
England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Canada  

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Argillite vs Serpentinite 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 Serpentinite 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. A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.. 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 Serpentinite information and Argillite vs Serpentinite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Argillite and Serpentinite

Here you can know more about Argillite and Serpentinite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Argillite and Serpentinite 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 Serpentinite includes Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Argillite vs Serpentinite, 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, Serpentinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white colors. Appearance of Argillite is Rough and Dull and that of Serpentinite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Argillite vs Serpentinite. The hardness of Argillite is 2-3 and that of Serpentinite is 3-5. The types of Argillite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Serpentinite are Jadeitite. 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 Serpentinite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Serpentinite is 0.95 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 Serpentinite is heat resistant.

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