Definition
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Diabase is a fine-grained igneous rock which is composed mostly of pyroxene and feldspar
Discoverer
Unknown
Christian Leopold von Buch
Etymology
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
From Greek di + base
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Igneous Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Rough
Aphanitic, Granular
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Dark Grey to Black
Durability
Durable
Durable
Scratch Resistant
Yes
Yes
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Vesicular
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones
Types
Chert and Jasper
Dolerite
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Smooth to touch
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
-
Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Formation
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
Diabase forms when molten igneous rock is squeezed up into a vertical crack in other rocks, the crack is usually forced apart and the molten rock cools in the space to form a tabular igneous intrusion cutting across the surrounding rocks and is known as a dike.
Mineral Content
Silicon
Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine to Medium Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8
2.86-2.87
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
2.7-3.3 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
India
Africa
-
South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey
Others
-
Antarctica, Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, USA
South America
Bolivia
Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, South Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Flint vs Diabase 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. Flint vs Diabase characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Flint and Properties of Diabase. Learn more about Flint vs Diabase in the next section. The interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Diabase include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Homes, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Flint and Diabase, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Flint in construction industry include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points and that of Diabase include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Flint and Diabase
Here you can know more about Flint and Diabase. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Flint and Diabase consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Flint includes Silicon and mineral content of Diabase includes Augite, Chlorite, Olivine, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Flint vs Diabase, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas, Diabase is available in dark grey to black colors. Appearance of Flint is Glassy or Pearly and that of Diabase is Vesicular. Properties of rock is another aspect for Flint vs Diabase. Hardness of Flint and Diabase is 7. The types of Flint are Chert and Jasper whereas types of Diabase are Dolerite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Flint is white while that of Diabase is black. The specific heat capacity of Flint is 0.74 kJ/Kg K and that of Diabase is 0.84 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Flint is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Diabase is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.