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Laterite and Claystone


Claystone and Laterite


Definition

Definition
Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas  
Claystone is a fine-grained, dark gray to pink sedimentary rock which mainly consists of compacted and hardened clay  

History
  
  

Origin
India  
-  

Discoverer
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1  
From English clay and stone as the rock contains more amount of clay  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Sedimentary Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic  
Clastic  

Color
Brown, Buff, Red  
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow  

Maintenance
Less  
More  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Rough and Banded  
Rough and Dull  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration  
As Facing Stone, Roof Tiles  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone  
As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums  
Pottery  

Types

Types
Laterite  
Claystone  

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

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Present  
Present  

Formation

Formation
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.   
Claystone is generally quite soft, but can be hard and brittle. It forms due to weathering of mudstone.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene  
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2  
3.5-4  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Fine Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
-  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Very Less Porous  

Luster
Dull  
Dull  

Compressive Strength
5.00 N/mm2  
99+
40.00 N/mm2  
40

Cleavage
-  
Perfect  

Toughness
-  
2.6  

Specific Gravity
-9999  
0  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
-9999 g/cm3  
2-2.9 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

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

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India  
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia  

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

Europe
England, Romania, Scotland  
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, Panama, USA  

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
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All about Laterite and Claystone Properties

Know all about Laterite and Claystone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Laterite and Claystone belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic whereas that of Claystone is Clastic. Laterite appears Rough and Banded and Claystone appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Laterite and Claystone is dull. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas Claystone is available in black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums and that of Claystone are pottery.

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