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Argillite vs Travertine


Travertine 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  
Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
Italy  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Marcus Vitruvius Pollio  

Etymology
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite  
From Italian travertino a kind of building stone, from Tiburs, adjective from Tibur (Tivoli), in Italy  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Sedimentary 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  
Banded  

Color
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White  
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Grey, Red, White, Yellow  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Appearance
Rough and Dull  
Fibrous  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings  
As Building Stone, As Facing 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, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends  
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Paper Industry, Pottery  

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock  
Thermal Travertine and Tufa  

Features
Is one of the oldest rock  
Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
Colosseum in Rome, Italy, Sacré Coeur in Paris, France, Trevi Fountain in Rome, Italy  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Present  
Present  

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.  
Travertine is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock which then undergo sedimentation. They are then subjected to high temperature and pressure hence forming travertine rock.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz  
Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz  

Compound Content
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide  
Ca, NaCl, CaO, Oxygen  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
No  

Types of 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  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2-3  
3-4  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal to Uneven  
Splintery  

Streak
White to Grey  
White  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Waxy and Dull  
Dull to Pearly  

Compressive Strength
-  
80.00 N/mm2  
33

Cleavage
Slaty  
-  

Toughness
2.6  
1  

Specific Gravity
2.56-2.68  
1.68  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.54-2.66 g/cm3  
2.71 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.87 kJ/Kg K  
14
1.09 kJ/Kg K  
8

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia  
China, Russia  

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

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

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Canada, USA  

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Definition >>
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Argillite vs Travertine 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 Travertine 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. Travertine is a mineral consisting of layered calcium carbonate formed by deposition from spring waters. 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 Travertine information and Argillite vs Travertine characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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

More about Argillite and Travertine

Here you can know more about Argillite and Travertine. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Argillite and Travertine 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 Travertine includes Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Argillite vs Travertine, 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, Travertine is available in beige, black, blue, brown, grey, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Argillite is Rough and Dull and that of Travertine is Fibrous. Properties of rock is another aspect for Argillite vs Travertine. The hardness of Argillite is 2-3 and that of Travertine is 3-4. The types of Argillite are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Travertine are Thermal Travertine and Tufa. 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 Travertine is white. The specific heat capacity of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K and that of Travertine is 1.09 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 Travertine is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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