Definition
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds
Syenite is a coarse-grained igneous rock which is composed mainly of alkali feldspar and various ferromagnesian minerals
Discoverer
John Peter Salley
Unknown
Etymology
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century
From French syénite, from Latin Syenites (lapis ) (stone) of Syene
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
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Amorphous, Glassy
Earthy
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
-
Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
-
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
Types
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite
Shonkinite
Features
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable
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.
Syenites are formed due to alkaline igneous activities and are generally formed in thick continental crustal areas or in Cordilleran subduction zones.
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
Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
-
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4
2.6-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1100-1400 g/cm3
2.6-2.8 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil, Chile
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Coal vs Syenite 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 Syenite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Coal and Properties of Syenite. Learn more about Coal vs Syenite in the next section. The interior uses of Coal include whereas the interior uses of Syenite include Flooring, Homes, Hotels and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Coal and Syenite, 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 Syenite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Coal and Syenite
Here you can know more about Coal and Syenite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Coal and Syenite 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 Syenite includes Amphibole, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Coal vs Syenite, 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, Syenite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Coal is Veined or Pebbled and that of Syenite is Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Coal vs Syenite. The hardness of Coal is 1-1.5 and that of Syenite is 5.5-6. The types of Coal are Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite whereas types of Syenite are Shonkinite. 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 Syenite is white. The specific heat capacity of Coal is 1.32 kJ/Kg K and that of Syenite 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.Coal is heat resistant whereas Syenite is heat resistant, impact resistant, wear resistant.