Definition
Claystone is a fine-grained, dark gray to pink sedimentary rock which mainly consists of compacted and hardened clay
Conglomerate is a sedimentary rock which forms from rounded gravel and boulder sized clasts which are cemented together in a matrix
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From English clay and stone as the rock contains more amount of clay
From Latin conglomeratus, to roll together, i.e. from com together + glomerare to gather into a ball, from glomus (genitive glomeris) a ball
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Beige, Black, Brown, Buff, Light to Dark Grey, Orange, Rust, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Shiny and Rounded
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Roof Tiles
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
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
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Pottery
Cemetery Markers, In aquifers, Tombstones
Types
Claystone
Orthoconglomerate and Paraconglomerate
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Claystone is generally quite soft, but can be hard and brittle. It forms due to weathering of mudstone.
Conglomerate forms where sediments consisting mainly of pebble and cobble-size clasts at least two millimeters in diameter starts accumulating.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Clay, Sand, Silica, Silt
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
NaCl, CaO
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Coarse Grained
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
0
2.86-2.88
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2-2.9 g/cm3
1.7-2.3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant
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
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
Claystone vs Conglomerate 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 Conglomerate characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Claystone and Properties of Conglomerate. Learn more about Claystone vs Conglomerate in the next section. The interior uses of Claystone include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Conglomerate include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Claystone and Conglomerate, 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 Conglomerate include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Claystone and Conglomerate
Here you can know more about Claystone and Conglomerate. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Claystone and Conglomerate 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 Conglomerate includes Clay, Sand, Silica, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Claystone vs Conglomerate, 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, Conglomerate is available in beige, black, brown, buff, light to dark grey, orange, rust, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Claystone is Rough and Dull and that of Conglomerate is Shiny and Rounded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Claystone vs Conglomerate. The hardness of Claystone is 3.5-4 and that of Conglomerate is 2-3. The types of Claystone are Claystone whereas types of Conglomerate are Orthoconglomerate and Paraconglomerate. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Claystone and Conglomerate is white. The specific heat capacity of Claystone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Conglomerate is 0.92 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 Conglomerate is heat resistant.