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Blue Granite vs Soapstone


Soapstone vs Blue Granite


Definition

Definition
Blue Granite is an igneous rock and a variety of Larvikite, notable for the presence of thumbnail-sized blue crystals of feldspar  
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
USA  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From the color of rock, Blue  
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

Texture
Phaneritic  
Polished  

Color
Black, Brown, Light to Dark Grey, White  
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Shiny  
Dull, Banded and Foilated  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Interior Decoration  
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration  

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration  
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories  

Medical Industry
-  
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, 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

Types
Granite  
Metamorphic rock  

Features
Available in lots of colors, Is one of the oldest 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

Formation
Blue Granite is an igneous rock which is a variety of Larvikite and is known mainly for the presence of thumbnail-sized crystals of feldspar.   
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
Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon  
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
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering  
-  

Erosion
Yes  
No  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion  
-  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
1  

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
-  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
Black  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull  
Greasy  

Compressive Strength
175.00 N/mm2  
20
225.00 N/mm2  
8

Cleavage
-  
Perfect  

Toughness
-  
1  

Specific Gravity
2.8-3  
2.86  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.9-2.91 g/cm3  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.79 kJ/Kg K  
17
0.88 kJ/Kg K  
13

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

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

Africa
-  
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa  

Europe
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland  
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Canada, USA  

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Blue Granite vs Soapstone 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 Blue Granite and Soapstone Reserves. Blue Granite is an igneous rock and a variety of Larvikite, notable for the presence of thumbnail-sized blue crystals of feldspar. It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc. 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 Blue Granite vs Soapstone information and Blue Granite vs Soapstone characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Blue Granite vs Soapstone 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. Blue Granite vs Soapstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Blue Granite and Properties of Soapstone. Learn more about Blue Granite vs Soapstone in the next section. The interior uses of Blue Granite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Blue Granite and Soapstone, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Blue Granite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Soapstone include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.

More about Blue Granite and Soapstone

Here you can know more about Blue Granite and Soapstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Blue Granite and Soapstone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Blue Granite includes Albite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Titanite, Zircon and mineral content of Soapstone includes Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Blue Granite vs Soapstone, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Blue Granite is available in black, brown, light to dark grey, white colors whereas, Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors. Appearance of Blue Granite is Shiny and that of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Blue Granite vs Soapstone. The hardness of Blue Granite is 6-7 and that of Soapstone is 1. The types of Blue Granite are Granite whereas types of Soapstone are Metamorphic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Blue Granite is white while that of Soapstone is black. The specific heat capacity of Blue Granite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Blue Granite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant.

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