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Claystone vs Argillite


Argillite vs Claystone


Definition

Definition
Claystone is a fine-grained, dark gray to pink sedimentary rock which mainly consists of compacted and hardened clay  
Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
-  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From English clay and stone as the rock contains more amount of clay  
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Sedimentary Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic  
Clastic, Polished  

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow  
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White  

Maintenance
More  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Rough and Dull  
Rough and Dull  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing, Whetstones  

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  
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Pottery  
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends  

Types

Types
Claystone  
Metamorphic rock  

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock  
Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Present  
Present  

Formation

Formation
Claystone is generally quite soft, but can be hard and brittle. It forms due to weathering of mudstone.  
An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz  
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion  
Chemical Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3.5-4  
2-3  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
-  
Conchoidal to Uneven  

Streak
White  
White to Grey  

Porosity
Very Less Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Dull  
Waxy and Dull  

Compressive Strength
40.00 N/mm2  
40
-  

Cleavage
Perfect  
Slaty  

Toughness
2.6  
2.6  

Specific Gravity
0  
2.56-2.68  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2-2.9 g/cm3  
2.54-2.66 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
0.87 kJ/Kg K  
14

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia  
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia  

Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania  
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania  

Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland  
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Panama, USA  
USA  

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Claystone vs Argillite 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 Claystone and Argillite Reserves. Claystone is a fine-grained, dark gray to pink sedimentary rock which mainly consists of compacted and hardened clay. Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate. 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 Claystone vs Argillite information and Claystone vs Argillite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Claystone vs Argillite 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. Claystone vs Argillite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Claystone and Properties of Argillite. Learn more about Claystone vs Argillite in the next section. The interior uses of Claystone include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Argillite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Claystone and Argillite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Claystone in construction industry include 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 and that of Argillite include Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..

More about Claystone and Argillite

Here you can know more about Claystone and Argillite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Claystone and Argillite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Claystone includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz and mineral content of Argillite includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Claystone vs Argillite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Claystone is available in black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Claystone is Rough and Dull and that of Argillite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Claystone vs Argillite. The hardness of Claystone is 3.5-4 and that of Argillite is 2-3. The types of Claystone are Claystone whereas types of Argillite are Metamorphic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Claystone is white while that of Argillite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Claystone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Claystone is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Argillite is heat resistant, impact resistant.

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