Definition
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds
Scoria is a dark-colored extrusive igneous rock with abundant round bubble-like cavities
Discoverer
John Peter Salley
Unknown
Etymology
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century
From late Middle English (denoting slag from molten metal), from Greek skōria refuse, from skōr dung
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Amorphous, Glassy
Vesicular
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Dark Grey to Black, Red
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Glassy and Vesicular
Interior Uses
-
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
-
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
As a traction material on snow-covered roads, Creating Artwork, High-temperature insulation, In gas barbecue grills
Types
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite
Basaltic Scoria and Andesitic Scoria
Features
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Surfaces are often shiny
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Coal forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment which is buried by sediments such as mud or sand and then compacted to form coal.
Scoria forms when magma containing huge amount of dissolved gas flows from a volcano during an eruption.
Mineral Content
Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon
Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica
Compound Content
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Ca, NaCl
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
-
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4
-9999
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1100-1400 g/cm3
-9999 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia
Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania
Europe
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Bahamas, Barbados, Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Jamaica, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
New Zealand, Western Australia
Coal vs Scoria 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. Coal vs Scoria characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Coal and Properties of Scoria. Learn more about Coal vs Scoria in the next section. The interior uses of Coal include whereas the interior uses of Scoria include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Coal and Scoria, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Coal in construction industry include Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel production and that of Scoria include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, In landscaping and drainage works.
More about Coal and Scoria
Here you can know more about Coal and Scoria. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Coal and Scoria consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Coal includes Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon and mineral content of Scoria includes Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Feldspar, Hematite, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Olivine, Pyroxene, Quartz, Silica. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Coal vs Scoria, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Coal is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors whereas, Scoria is available in black, brown, dark grey to black, red colors. Appearance of Coal is Veined or Pebbled and that of Scoria is Glassy and Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Coal vs Scoria. The hardness of Coal is 1-1.5 and that of Scoria is 5-6. The types of Coal are Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite whereas types of Scoria are Basaltic Scoria and Andesitic Scoria. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Coal is black while that of Scoria is white. The specific heat capacity of Coal is 1.32 kJ/Kg K and that of Scoria 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.Coal is heat resistant whereas Scoria is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.