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
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
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Dull, Banded and Foilated
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
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
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
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
-
Physical Properties
Hardness
61
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
Black
Black
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Earthy
Greasy
Compressive Strength
37.40 N/mm2225.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
Perfect
Toughness
2.3
1
Specific Gravity
2.8-32.86
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.9-3.1 g/cm32.8-2.9 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
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
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
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland