Definition
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate
History
Origin
-
New Zealand
Discoverer
Unknown
Belsazar Hacquet
Etymology
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
From lime and stone in late 14th Century
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Banded, Rough
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
More
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Glassy or Pearly
Rough and Banded
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium
Medical Industry
-
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper
Types
Chert and Jasper
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa
Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
-
Famous Monuments
-
Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem
Sculpture
-
-
Famous Sculptures
-
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India
Pictographs
-
-
Petroglyphs
-
-
Figurines
-
-
Fossils
Present
Present
Formation
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.
Composition
Mineral Content
Silicon
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Compound Content
Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
73-4
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Splintery
Streak
White
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Dull to Pearly
Compressive Strength
450.00 N/mm2115.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
1.5
1
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.82.3-2.7
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.7-2.71 g/cm32.3-2.7 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.74 kJ/Kg K0.91 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
-
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Europe
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
USA
South America
Bolivia
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, South Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula