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Banded iron formation vs Argillite


Argillite vs Banded iron formation


Definition

Definition
Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age   
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   

History
  
  

Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From its formation process   
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Banded, Trellis   
Clastic, Polished   

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

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Rough and Dull   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing, Whetstones   
Curbing, Whetstones   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends   

Types

Types
Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite   
Not Available   

Features
Is one of the oldest rock   
Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

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.   
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.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz   
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz   

Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering   
Biological Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5-6   
2-3   

Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal   
Conchoidal to Uneven   

Streak
White   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Earthy   
Waxy and Dull   

Cleavage
Imperfect   
Slaty   

Toughness
1.5   
2.6   

Specific Gravity
5.0-5.3   
2.56-2.68   

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
2.54-2.66 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
3.20 kJ/Kg K   
1
0.87 kJ/Kg K   
14

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   

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Banded iron formation vs Argillite 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 Banded iron formation and Argillite Reserves. Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age. 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. 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 Banded iron formation vs Argillite information and Banded iron formation vs Argillite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Banded iron formation vs Argillite 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. Banded iron formation vs Argillite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Banded iron formation and Properties of Argillite. Learn more about Banded iron formation vs Argillite in the next section. The interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Argillite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Banded iron formation and Argillite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Banded iron formation in construction industry include As dimension stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills. and that of Argillite include Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..

More about Banded iron formation and Argillite

Here you can know more about Banded iron formation and Argillite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Banded iron formation and Argillite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz and mineral content of Argillite includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Banded iron formation vs Argillite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Banded iron formation is available in red, reddish brown colors whereas, Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Argillite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Banded iron formation vs Argillite. The hardness of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6 and that of Argillite is 2-3. The types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite whereas types of Argillite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Banded iron formation is white while that of Argillite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Banded iron formation is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Argillite is heat resistant, impact resistant.

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