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Felsite vs Shale


Shale vs Felsite


Definition

Definition
Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition   
Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles   

History
  
  

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From English feldspar and -ite   
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
Igneous Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous   
Clastic, Splintery   

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, Yellow   
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny   
Muddy   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points   
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar   

Medical Industry
Surgery   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Mirror, Jewelry   
Creating Artwork, Pottery   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, Very fine grained rock   
Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Jantar Mantar in India   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Felsite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.   
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
Feldspar, Iron Oxides   
Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   
Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5-5.5   
3   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Not Available   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Very Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Vitreous   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
0.15 N/mm2   
33
95.00 N/mm2   
20

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Slaty   

Toughness
Not Available   
2.6   

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.7   
2.2-2.8   

Transparency
Translucent   
Opaque   

Density
2.6 g/cm3   
2.4-2.8 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
0.39 kJ/Kg K   
23

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia   
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia   

Africa
Kenya   
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey   
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
USA   

South America
Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru   
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Definition >>
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Felsite 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 Felsite and Shale Reserves. Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition. 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 Felsite vs Shale information and Felsite vs Shale characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Felsite 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. Felsite vs Shale characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Felsite and Properties of Shale. Learn more about Felsite vs Shale in the next section. The interior uses of Felsite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Shale include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Felsite and Shale, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Felsite in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points and that of Shale include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar.

More about Felsite and Shale

Here you can know more about Felsite and Shale. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Felsite and Shale consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Felsite includes Feldspar, Iron Oxides 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 Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Felsite vs Shale, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors whereas, Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors. Appearance of Felsite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny and that of Shale is Muddy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Felsite vs Shale. The hardness of Felsite is 5-5.5 and that of Shale is 3. The types of Felsite are Not Available 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 Felsite and Shale is white. The specific heat capacity of Felsite is 0.92 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.Felsite is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Shale is heat resistant, impact resistant.

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