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Ganister and Chert


Chert and Ganister


Definition

Definition
A ganister is a hard, fine-grained quartzose sandstone or orthoquartzite which is basically used in the manufacture of silica brick typically used to line furnaces and is a type of sedimentary rocks.  
Chert is a hard, dark, opaque sedimentary rock which is composed of silica with an amorphous fine-grained texture  

History
  
  

Origin
England  
Unknown  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From gan′is-ter i.e a hard, close-grained siliceous stone, often forming the stratum which underlies a coal-seam  
From flint-like quartz, 1670s, of unknown origin- a local term, which has been taken into geological use  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Sedimentary Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable  
Not Applicable  

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic, Granular, Rough  
Banded, Rough  

Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow  
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Rough  
Glassy or Pearly  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Exterior Uses
As Building 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
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar  
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points  

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used  
Not Yet Used  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Monuments  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones  
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms  

Types

Types
Not Available  
Flint, Jasper, Radiolarite, Common Chert, Chalcedony, Agate, Onyx, Opal, Magadi-type Chert, Porcelanite, Siliceous Sinter  

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock  
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used  
Used  

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available  
Data Not Available  

Sculpture
Used  
Not Yet Used  

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available  
Not Applicable  

Pictographs
Not Used  
Not Used  

Petroglyphs
Not Used  
Not Used  

Figurines
Used  
Not Yet Used  

Fossils
Present  
Present  

Formation

Formation
Ganisters are formed by the destruction of easily weathered minerals mainly feldspar, within the surface horizon of soil by soil-forming processes.  
Chert forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The chert formation can be either of chemical or biological origin.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz  
Quartz, Silicon  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide  
Silicon Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable  
Not Applicable  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering  
Not Applicable  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  
Chemical Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
6.5-7  

Grain Size
Coarse or Fine  
Very fine-grained  

Fracture
Splintery  
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Highly Porous  

Luster
Dull  
Waxy and Dull  

Compressive Strength
95.00 N/mm2  
20
450.00 N/mm2  
1

Cleavage
Perfect  
Non-Existent  

Toughness
2.6  
1.5  

Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8  
2.5-2.8  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent to Opaque  

Density
2.2-2.8 g/cm3  
2.7 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
0.74 kJ/Kg K  
19

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan  
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam  

Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa  
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania  

Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom  
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom  

Others
Greenland  
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, Mexico, USA  

South America
Brazil  
Bolivia, Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Ganister and Chert Properties

Know all about Ganister and Chert properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Ganister and Chert belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Ganister is Clastic, Granular, Rough whereas that of Chert is Banded, Rough. Ganister appears Rough and Chert appears Glassy or Pearly. The luster of Ganister is dull while that of Chert is waxy and dull. Ganister and Chert are available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Ganister are an oil and gas reservoir, in aquifers, petroleum reservoirs, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones and that of Chert are creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms.

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