Dolomite

Argillite

Dolomite and Argillite

Dolomite

Argillite

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Definition

Dolomite is a sedimentary rock containing more than 50 percent of the mineral dolomite by weight

Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate

History

Origin

Southern Alps, France

Discoverer

Dolomieu

Unknown

Etymology

From French, from the name of Dolomieu (1750–1801), the French geologist who discovered the rock

From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

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

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Earthy

Clastic, Polished

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Glassy or Pearly

Rough and Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock

Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends

Types

Boninite and Jasperoid

Metamorphic rock

Features

Host Rock for Lead, Traps for subsurface fluids like Oil and Natural Gas., Zinc and Copper Deposits

Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Formation

Dolomite rocks are originally deposited as calcite or aragonite rich limestone, but during diagenesis process, the calcite or aragonite is transformed into dolomite.

An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.

Composition

Mineral Content

Clay Minerals, Pyrite, Quartz, Sulfides

Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz

Compound Content

NaCl, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO

Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-42-3

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous and Pearly

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

140.00 N/mm²-

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Slaty

Toughness

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.8-32.56-2.68

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Transparent to Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm³2.54-2.66 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.87 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

Morocco, Namibia

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Austria, Italy, Romania, Spain, Switzerland

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Mexico, USA

USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, Yorke Peninsula

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia

All about Dolomite and Argillite Properties

Know all about Dolomite and Argillite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Dolomite and Argillite belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Dolomite is Earthy whereas that of Argillite is Clastic, Polished. Dolomite appears Glassy or Pearly and Argillite appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Dolomite is vitreous and pearly while that of Argillite is waxy and dull. Dolomite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Dolomite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Argillite are fire resistant, used to manufracture paperweights and bookends.