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Diatomite
Diatomite

Shale
Shale



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Diatomite
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Shale

Diatomite vs Shale

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Definition

Definition

Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles

History

Origin

Germany
-

Discoverer

Unknown
Johann Gottlob Lehmann

Etymology

From diatom + -ite1
From German Schalstein laminated limestone, and Schalgebirge layer of stone in stratified rock. From Old English scealu in its base sense of- thing that divides or separate,

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Clastic or Non-Clastic
Clastic, Splintery

Color

Grey, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow

Maintenance

Less
More

Durability

Non-Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Soft
Muddy

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts
Artifacts, Sculpture

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
Creating Artwork, Pottery

Types

Types

Diatomite
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale

Features

Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
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Famous Monuments

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Jantar Mantar in India

Sculpture

-
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Famous Sculptures

-
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Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
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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.
Shale forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settle at the bottom of water bodies. They are later compacted hence forming shale.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides

Compound Content

Ca, NaCl, CaO
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium

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, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

13
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained
Very fine-grained

Fracture

-
-

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Dull
Dull

Compressive Strength

-95.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
Slaty

Toughness

1
2.6

Specific Gravity

2.3-2.42.2-2.8
0 8.4
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Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.49-2.51 g/cm32.4-2.8 g/cm3
0 1400
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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.90 kJ/Kg K0.39 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

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

Europe

England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
USA

South America

Colombia
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Diatomite vs Shale 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 Shale Reserves. Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth. Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles. 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 Shale information and Diatomite vs Shale characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Diatomite vs Shale 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 Shale characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Diatomite and Properties of Shale. Learn more about Diatomite vs Shale in the next section. The interior uses of Diatomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Diatomite and Shale, 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 Shale include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.

More about Diatomite and Shale

Here you can know more about Diatomite and Shale. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Diatomite and Shale consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Diatomite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand and mineral content of Shale includes Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Diatomite vs Shale, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors whereas, Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. Appearance of Diatomite is Soft and that of Shale is Muddy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Diatomite vs Shale. The hardness of Diatomite is 1 and that of Shale is 3. The types of Diatomite are Diatomite whereas types of Shale are Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Diatomite and Shale is white. The specific heat capacity of Diatomite is 0.90 kJ/Kg K and that of Shale is 0.39 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 Shale is heat resistant, impact resistant.