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.
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc
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 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic, Granular, Rough
Polished
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Not Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Not Used
Used
Formation
Ganisters are formed by the destruction of easily weathered minerals mainly feldspar, within the surface horizon of soil by soil-forming processes.
Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
CaO, Mg, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Coarse or Fine
Fine Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.2-2.8 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland
Ganister vs Soapstone 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. Ganister vs Soapstone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Ganister and Properties of Soapstone. Learn more about Ganister vs Soapstone in the next section. The interior uses of Ganister include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Ganister and Soapstone, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Ganister in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Soapstone include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories.
More about Ganister and Soapstone
Here you can know more about Ganister and Soapstone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Ganister and Soapstone consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Ganister includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and mineral content of Soapstone includes Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Ganister vs Soapstone, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Ganister is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors whereas, Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors. Appearance of Ganister is Rough and that of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Ganister vs Soapstone. The hardness of Ganister is 6-7 and that of Soapstone is 1. The types of Ganister are Not Available whereas types of Soapstone are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Ganister is white while that of Soapstone is black. The specific heat capacity of Ganister is 0.92 kJ/Kg K and that of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Ganister is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant.