Definition
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
  
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds
  
History
  
  
Origin
Germany
  
USA
  
Discoverer
Christian Leopold von Buch
  
John Peter Salley
  
Etymology
From Greek di + base
  
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century
  
Class
Igneous Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Volcanic
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Aphanitic, Granular
  
Amorphous, Glassy
  
Color
Dark Grey to Black
  
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Appearance
Vesicular
  
Veined or Pebbled
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
  
Not Yet Used
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
Not Yet Used
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Not Yet Used
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
  
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
  
Types
Not Available
  
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite
  
Features
Smooth to touch
  
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Present
  
Formation
Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.
  
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.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
  
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
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
  
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
  
Not Applicable
  
Erosion
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
  
Not Applicable
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
7
  
1-1.5
  
Grain Size
Fine to Medium Grained
  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
Black
  
Black
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Not Available
  
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
  
Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm
2
  
7
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Not Available
  
Non-Existent
  
Toughness
1.6
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87
  
1.1-1.4
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
  
1100-1400 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
1.32 kJ/Kg K
  
4
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
India
  
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
  
Africa
South Africa, Tanzania
  
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
  
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
  
Others
Antarctica, Greenland
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, USA
  
Canada, Mexico, USA
  
South America
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
  
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
  
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
  
Diabase vs Coal 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. Diabase vs Coal characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diabase and Properties of Coal. Learn more about Diabase vs Coal in the next section. The interior uses of Diabase include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Coal include Not yet used. Due to some exceptional properties of Diabase and Coal, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diabase in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Coal include Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel production.
More about Diabase and Coal
Here you can know more about Diabase and Coal. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diabase and Coal consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diabase includes Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine and 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. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Diabase vs Coal, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Coal is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Diabase is Vesicular and that of Coal is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diabase vs Coal. The hardness of Diabase is 7 and that of Coal is 1-1.5. The types of Diabase are Not Available whereas types of Coal are Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diabase and Coal is black. The specific heat capacity of Diabase is Not Available and that of Coal is 1.32 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Diabase is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Coal is heat resistant.