Definition
Essexite which is also known as nepheline monzogabbro, is a dark gray or black holocrystalline plutonic Iigneous Rock
Mudstone is a fine-grained, dark gray sedimentary rock, which is formed from silt and clay and is similar to shale but has less laminations
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From the locality in Essex County, Massachusetts,US
From the English mud and stone, from low German mudde and stainaz
Class
Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Plutonic
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Color
Dark Grey to Black
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Banded
Rough and Dull
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Creating Artwork, Pottery
Types
Not Available
Marl, Shale and Argillite
Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Essexite is a type of igneous rock, which is usually dark grey to black plutonic rock. For the formation of essexite, suitable magma with exact composition of K, Ba, Rb, Cs, Sr should be produced.
Mudstone forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settle at the bottom of water bodies. They are buried and compacted by overlying sediment hence forming mudstone.
Mineral Content
Augite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Nepheline, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, Ba, Ca, Cs, Potassium, Rb, Sodium, Sr
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Not Available
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Not Available
Dull
Cleavage
Not Available
Perfect
Specific Gravity
Not Available
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Russia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Africa
South Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
Essexite vs Mudstone 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. Essexite vs Mudstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Essexite and Properties of Mudstone. Learn more about Essexite vs Mudstone in the next section. The interior uses of Essexite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Mudstone include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Essexite and Mudstone, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Essexite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate and that of Mudstone include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.
More about Essexite and Mudstone
Here you can know more about Essexite and Mudstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Essexite and Mudstone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Essexite includes Augite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Nepheline, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Mudstone includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Essexite vs Mudstone, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Essexite is available in dark grey to black colors whereas, Mudstone is available in black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, red, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Essexite is Banded and that of Mudstone is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Essexite vs Mudstone. The hardness of Essexite is 7 and that of Mudstone is 2-3. The types of Essexite are Not Available whereas types of Mudstone are Marl, Shale and Argillite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Essexite is black while that of Mudstone is white. The specific heat capacity of Essexite is Not Available and that of Mudstone 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.Essexite is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Mudstone is heat resistant, impact resistant.