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Argillite
Argillite

Soapstone
Soapstone



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Argillite
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Argillite vs Soapstone

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
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc

History

Origin

-
USA

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Clastic, Polished
Polished

Color

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

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Rough and Dull
Dull, Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Whetstones
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Medical Industry

-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Types

Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock

Features

Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

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.
Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.

Composition

Mineral Content

Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Compound Content

Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
CaO, Mg, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

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

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering
-

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion
-

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

2-31
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal to Uneven
Conchoidal

Streak

White to Grey
Black

Porosity

Highly Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Waxy and Dull
Greasy

Compressive Strength

-225.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty
Perfect

Toughness

2.6
1

Specific Gravity

2.56-2.682.86
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.54-2.66 g/cm32.8-2.9 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.87 kJ/Kg K0.88 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand

Africa

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

Europe

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA
Canada, USA

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 Zealand, Queensland

Argillite vs Soapstone 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 Soapstone 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. It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc. 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 Soapstone information and Argillite vs Soapstone characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Argillite vs Soapstone 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 Soapstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Argillite and Properties of Soapstone. Learn more about Argillite vs Soapstone in the next section. The interior uses of Argillite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Argillite and Soapstone, 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 Soapstone include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.

More about Argillite and Soapstone

Here you can know more about Argillite and Soapstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Argillite and Soapstone 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 Soapstone includes Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Argillite vs Soapstone, 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, Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors. Appearance of Argillite is Rough and Dull and that of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Argillite vs Soapstone. The hardness of Argillite is 2-3 and that of Soapstone is 1. The types of Argillite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Soapstone are Metamorphic 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 Soapstone is black. The specific heat capacity of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Soapstone is 0.88 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 Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant.