Home
Compare Rocks


Kimberlite and Coal


Coal and Kimberlite


Definition

Definition
Kimberlite is a rare, blue-tinged, coarse-grained intrusive igneous rock, which sometimes contains diamonds and is mostly found in South Africa and Siberia.  
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds  

History
  
  

Origin
Kimberley, South Africa  
USA  

Discoverer
John W. Judd  
John Peter Salley  

Etymology
From Kimberley +‎ -ite, from the name of the South African town of Kimberley where the rock was first found.  
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Sedimentary Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Porphyritic  
Amorphous, Glassy  

Color
Black, Bluish - Grey, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey  
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
No  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
No  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Dull and Banded  
Veined or Pebbled  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration  
-  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
-  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories  
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production  

Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts  

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)  
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry  

Types

Types
Basaltic Kimberlites and Micaceous Kimberlites  
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite  

Features
Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny  
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Present  

Formation

Formation
Kimberlite is an igneous rock and is the main source of diamonds. Its formation takes place deep beneath the Earth’s surface between 150 to 450 kilometres, and are erupted rapidly and violently.  
Coal forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment which is buried by sediments such as mud or sand and then compacted to form coal.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Garnet, Olivine, Phlogopite, Pyroxene  
Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
No  

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

Erosion
Yes  
No  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
1-1.5  

Grain Size
Fine to Coarse Grained  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
Black  

Porosity
Very Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull  
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic  

Compressive Strength
260.00 N/mm2  
4
-  

Cleavage
Conchoidal  
-  

Toughness
-  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87  
1.1-1.4  

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.95-2.96 g/cm3  
1100-1400 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10
1.32 kJ/Kg K  
4

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  
Heat Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Russia  
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam  

Africa
Angola, Botswana, Cameroon, Ethiopia, South Africa  
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania  

Europe
England, Hungary, Iceland, United Kingdom  
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom  

Others
Antarctica  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, Mexico, USA  

South America
Argentina, Colombia, Ecuador  
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Kimberlite and Coal Properties

Know all about Kimberlite and Coal properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Kimberlite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Coal belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Kimberlite is Porphyritic whereas that of Coal is Amorphous, Glassy. Kimberlite appears Dull and Banded and Coal appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Kimberlite is subvitreous to dull while that of Coal is dull to vitreous to submetallic. Kimberlite is available in black, bluish - grey, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey colors whereas Coal is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Kimberlite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Coal are alumina refineries, electricity generation, liquid fuel, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, paper industry.

Compare Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Igneous Rocks

» More Igneous Rocks

Compare Igneous Rocks

» More Compare Igneous Rocks