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Banded iron formation
Banded iron formation

Coal
Coal



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Banded iron formation
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Coal

Banded iron formation vs Coal

Definition

Definition

Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds

History

Origin

Western Australia, Minnesota
USA

Discoverer

Johann Gottlob Lehmann
John Peter Salley

Etymology

From its formation process
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Banded, Trellis
Amorphous, Glassy

Color

Red, Reddish Brown
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
Veined or Pebbled

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes
-

Exterior Uses

Paving Stone, Office Buildings
-

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Whetstones
-

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts
Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry

Types

Types

Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite

Features

Is one of the oldest rock
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

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.
Coal forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment which is buried by sediments such as mud or sand and then compacted to form coal.

Composition

Mineral Content

Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon

Compound Content

Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering
-

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
-

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5.5-61-1.5
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Conchoidal

Streak

White
Black

Porosity

Highly Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Earthy
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic

Compressive Strength

220.00 N/mm2-
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

1.5
-

Specific Gravity

5.0-5.31.1-1.4
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque
Opaque

Density

-9999 g/cm31100-1400 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

3.20 kJ/Kg K1.32 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Others

Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Banded iron formation vs Coal 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 Coal Reserves. Banded iron formation are distinctive units of sedimentary rock that are almost always of Precambrian age. Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds. 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 Coal information and Banded iron formation vs Coal characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Banded iron formation vs Coal 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 Coal characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Banded iron formation and Properties of Coal. Learn more about Banded iron formation vs Coal in the next section. The interior uses of Banded iron formation include Decorative aggregates and Homes whereas the interior uses of Coal include . Due to some exceptional properties of Banded iron formation and Coal, 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 Coal include Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel production.

More about Banded iron formation and Coal

Here you can know more about Banded iron formation and Coal. 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 Coal consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Banded iron formation includes Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz and mineral content of Coal includes Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Banded iron formation vs Coal, 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, Coal is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Banded iron formation is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Coal is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Banded iron formation vs Coal. The hardness of Banded iron formation is 5.5-6 and that of Coal is 1-1.5. The types of Banded iron formation are Algoma-type , Lake Superior-type, Superior-type and Taconite whereas types of Coal are Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite. 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 Coal is black. The specific heat capacity of Banded iron formation is 3.20 kJ/Kg K and that of Coal is 1.32 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 Coal is heat resistant.