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Diatomite
Diatomite

Lignite
Lignite



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Diatomite
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Lignite

Diatomite vs Lignite

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Definition

Definition

Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth
Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat

History

Origin

Germany
France

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

From diatom + -ite1
From French, Latin lignum wood + -ite1

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Clastic or Non-Clastic
Amorphous, Glassy

Color

Grey, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Non-Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Soft
Veined or Pebbled

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
-

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
-

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
-

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium
for Road Aggregate, Steel Production

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts
-

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
Electricity Generation

Types

Types

Diatomite
Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Generally rough to touch, Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Present
Present

Formation

Formation

Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.
Coal formation takes place due to accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. The Coal formation process continues, as peat turns into lignite brown or black coal at increasing heat and pressure.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
-

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

-
-

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

11
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

-
Conchoidal

Streak

White
Black

Porosity

Highly Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Dull
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic

Compressive Strength

--
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

1
-

Specific Gravity

2.3-2.41.1-1.4
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.49-2.51 g/cm3800-801 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.90 kJ/Kg K1.26 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Colombia
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria

Diatomite vs Lignite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Diatomite and Lignite Reserves. Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth. Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Diatomite vs Lignite information and Diatomite vs Lignite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Diatomite vs Lignite 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. Diatomite vs Lignite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diatomite and Properties of Lignite. Learn more about Diatomite vs Lignite in the next section. The interior uses of Diatomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Lignite include . Due to some exceptional properties of Diatomite and Lignite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Diatomite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium and that of Lignite include For road aggregate, Steel production.

More about Diatomite and Lignite

Here you can know more about Diatomite and Lignite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diatomite and Lignite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diatomite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand and mineral content of Lignite includes . You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Diatomite vs Lignite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors whereas, Lignite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Diatomite is Soft and that of Lignite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diatomite vs Lignite. Hardness of Diatomite and Lignite is 1. The types of Diatomite are Diatomite whereas types of Lignite are Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diatomite is white while that of Lignite is black. The specific heat capacity of Diatomite is 0.90 kJ/Kg K and that of Lignite is 1.26 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Diatomite is heat resistant whereas Lignite is heat resistant.