Definition
Claystone is a fine-grained, dark gray to pink sedimentary rock which mainly consists of compacted and hardened clay
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From English clay and stone as the rock contains more amount of clay
From German which means hornstone
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic
Granular, Platy
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Roof Tiles
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
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
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Pottery
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
Types
Claystone
Biotite hornfels
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Claystone is generally quite soft, but can be hard and brittle. It forms due to weathering of mudstone.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Andalusite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ca, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide
Fe, Mg
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Fine Grained
Porosity
Very Less Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
0
3.4-3.9
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2-2.9 g/cm3
0.25-0.30 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Panama, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Claystone vs Hornfels 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 Hornfels characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Claystone and Properties of Hornfels. Learn more about Claystone vs Hornfels in the next section. The interior uses of Claystone include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Claystone and Hornfels, 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 Hornfels include For road aggregate, Roadstone.
More about Claystone and Hornfels
Here you can know more about Claystone and Hornfels. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Claystone and Hornfels 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 Hornfels includes Andalusite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Claystone vs Hornfels, 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, Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Claystone is Rough and Dull and that of Hornfels is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Claystone vs Hornfels. The hardness of Claystone is 3.5-4 and that of Hornfels is 2-3. The types of Claystone are Claystone whereas types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels. 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 Hornfels is . The specific heat capacity of Claystone is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Hornfels is 0.84 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 Hornfels is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.