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Hornfels vs Argillite


Argillite vs Hornfels


Definition

Definition
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock   
Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate   

History
  
  

Origin
New Zealand   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From German which means hornstone   
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Granular, Platy   
Clastic, Polished   

Color
Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Reddish Brown   
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Dull   
Rough and Dull   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing, Whetstones   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends   

Types

Types
Biotite hornfels   
Not Available   

Features
Smooth to touch   
Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.   
An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Andalusite   
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz   

Compound Content
Fe, Mg   
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering   
Biological Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2-3   
2-3   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal to Uneven   

Streak
Unknown   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Shiny   
Waxy and Dull   

Compressive Strength
5.80 N/mm2   
31
Not Available   

Cleavage
Perfect   
Slaty   

Toughness
Not Yet Found   
2.6   

Specific Gravity
3.4-3.9   
2.56-2.68   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
0.25-0.30 g/cm3   
2.54-2.66 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15
0.87 kJ/Kg K   
14

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand   
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia   

Africa
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa   
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
United Kingdom   
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
USA   

South America
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Definition >>
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Hornfels vs Argillite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Hornfels and Argillite Reserves. Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock. Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Hornfels vs Argillite information and Hornfels vs Argillite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Hornfels vs Argillite 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. Hornfels vs Argillite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Hornfels and Properties of Argillite. Learn more about Hornfels vs Argillite in the next section. The interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Argillite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Hornfels and Argillite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Hornfels in construction industry include For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Argillite include Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..

More about Hornfels and Argillite

Here you can know more about Hornfels and Argillite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Hornfels and Argillite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite and mineral content of Argillite includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Hornfels vs Argillite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors whereas, Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Hornfels is Dull and that of Argillite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Hornfels vs Argillite. Hardness of Hornfels and Argillite is 2-3. The types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels whereas types of Argillite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Hornfels is unknown while that of Argillite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Hornfels is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Hornfels is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant whereas Argillite is heat resistant, impact resistant.

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