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Claystone and Siltstone


Siltstone and Claystone


Definition

Definition
Claystone is a fine-grained, dark gray to pink sedimentary rock which mainly consists of compacted and hardened clay   
Siltstone can be defined as a fine-grained sedimentary rock which mainly consists of consolidated silt   

History
  
  

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From English clay and stone as the rock contains more amount of clay   
From English word silt and stone and from Proto-Indo-European root sal and stainaz   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic   
Clastic   

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow   
Brown, Red, Reddish Brown   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Rough and Dull   
Rough   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Roof Tiles   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar   
Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Pottery   
Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Soil Conditioner   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock   
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Claystone is generally quite soft, but can be hard and brittle. It forms due to weathering of mudstone.   
Siltstone is a type of sedimentary rock which is formed from fine rock particles. As the particles of eroded rock travel along with water, the edges of the rock are worn-out by water into a rounded shape.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz   
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz, Sand, Silica, Silt   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3.5-4   
6-7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Not Available   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Dull   

Cleavage
Perfect   
Not Available   

Toughness
2.6   
2.6   

Specific Gravity
0   
2.54-2.73   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2-2.9 g/cm3   
2.6-2.7 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia   
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan   

Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland   
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Greenland   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Panama, USA   
Canada, USA   

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Claystone and Siltstone Properties

Know all about Claystone and Siltstone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Claystone and Siltstone belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Claystone is Clastic whereas that of Siltstone is Clastic. Claystone appears Rough and Dull and Siltstone appears Rough. The luster of Claystone and Siltstone is dull. Claystone is available in black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, red, white, yellow colors whereas Siltstone is available in brown, red, reddish brown colors. The commercial uses of Claystone are pottery and that of Siltstone are raw material for the manufacture of mortar, soil conditioner.

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