Definition
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds
Discoverer
Unknown
John Peter Salley
Etymology
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Rough
Amorphous, Glassy
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
-
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
-
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
-
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
Types
Chert and Jasper
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
Coal forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment which is buried by sediments such as mud or sand and then compacted to form coal.
Mineral Content
Silicon
Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
-
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
1.1-1.4
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
1100-1400 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
-
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Bolivia
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, South Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
All about Flint and Coal Properties
Know all about Flint and Coal properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Flint and Coal belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Flint is Banded, Rough whereas that of Coal is Amorphous, Glassy. Flint appears Glassy or Pearly and Coal appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Flint is vitreous while that of Coal is dull to vitreous to submetallic. Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas Coal is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Flint are creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms and that of Coal are alumina refineries, electricity generation, liquid fuel, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, paper industry.