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Gritstone and Laterite


Laterite and Gritstone


Definition

Definition
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone   
Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas   

History
  
  

Origin
Pennines, England   
India   

Discoverer
J.J. Ferber   
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton   

Etymology
From Grit + Stone   
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Earthy   
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic   

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

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Layered and Foliated   
Rough and Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone   
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones   
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock   
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Gritstone is a type of sedimentary rock which was formed on the floors of wide river deltas where the grit deposits were laid down, with every tide or flood dumping another layer of sediment.   
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz   
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7   
2   

Grain Size
Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
70.00 N/mm2   
24
Not Available   

Cleavage
Perfect   
Not Applicable   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.250   
Not Available   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.2 g/cm3   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K   
10
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan   
India   

Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   
East Africa, Western Africa   

Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   
England, Romania, Scotland   

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia   
Central Australia, Western Australia   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Gritstone and Laterite Properties

Know all about Gritstone and Laterite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Gritstone and Laterite belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Gritstone is Earthy whereas that of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic. Gritstone appears Layered and Foliated and Laterite appears Rough and Banded. The luster of Gritstone and Laterite is dull. Gritstone is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors whereas Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors. The commercial uses of Gritstone are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones and that of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums.

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