Benmoreite

Soapstone

Benmoreite and Soapstone

Benmoreite

Soapstone

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Definition

An iron rich extrusive rock found as a member of the alkali basalt magma series

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

History

Origin

Isle of Mull, Scotland

USA

Discoverer

Ben More

Unknown

Etymology

From the name of discoverer, Ben More

From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Trachytic, Vesicular

Polished

Color

Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey

Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Rough and Dull

Dull, Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Floor Tiles, Homes, Hotels, Kitchens

Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone

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

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Curling

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Alkaline Basalt, Boninite, High Alumina Basalt, Mid Ocean Ridge Basalt (MORB) and Tholeiitic Basalt

Metamorphic rock

Features

Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Very fine grained 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

Absent

Formation

Benmoreite is a type of Igneous rock which is formed through the cooling and solidification of lava or magma. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.

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

Alkali feldspar, Biotite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodic plagioclase

Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium 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, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

Black

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Earthy

Greasy

Compressive Strength

37.40 N/mm²225.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

2.3

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.86

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.9-3.1 g/cm³2.8-2.9 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.84 kJ/Kg K0.88 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

India, Russia

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

Africa

South Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

Europe

Iceland

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

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland

All about Benmoreite and Soapstone Properties

Know all about Benmoreite and Soapstone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Benmoreite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Soapstone belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Benmoreite is Glassy, Massive, Porphyritic, Scoriaceous, Trachytic, Vesicular whereas that of Soapstone is Polished. Benmoreite appears Rough and Dull and Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Benmoreite is earthy while that of Soapstone is greasy. Benmoreite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey colors whereas Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Benmoreite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork, curling and that of Soapstone are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, production of lime, source of magnesia (mgo).