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Banded iron formation and Shale


Shale and Banded iron formation


Definition

Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age   
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles   

History
  
  

Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From its formation process   
From German Schalstein laminated limestone, and Schalgebirge layer of stone in stratified rock. From Old English scealu in its base sense of- thing that divides or separate,   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Banded, Trellis   
Clastic, Splintery   

Color
Red, Reddish Brown   
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Muddy   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
Creating Artwork, Pottery   

Types

Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite   
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale   

Features
Is one of the oldest rock   
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Jantar Mantar in India   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Present   

Formation

Formation
The banded iron layers are formed in sea water when oxygen is released by photosynthetic cyano-bacteria. The oxygen then combines with dissolved iron in ocean to form insoluble iron oxides, which precipitated out, forming a thin layer of banded iron formation on ocean floor.   
Shale forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settle at the bottom of water bodies. They are later compacted hence forming shale.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz   
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides   

Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6   
3   

Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   
Not Available   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
95.00 N/mm2   
20

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Slaty   

Toughness
1.5   
2.6   

Specific Gravity
5.0-5.3   
2.2-2.8   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
2.4-2.8 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
3.20 kJ/Kg K   
1
0.39 kJ/Kg K   
23

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam   
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia   

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

Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom   
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland   

Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
USA   

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Banded iron formation and Shale Properties

Know all about Banded iron formation and Shale properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Banded iron formation and Shale belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Banded iron formation is Banded, Trellis whereas that of Shale is Clastic, Splintery. Banded iron formation appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and Shale appears Muddy. The luster of Banded iron formation is earthy while that of Shale is dull. Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors whereas Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Banded iron formation are as a touchstone, cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Shale are creating artwork, pottery.

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