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Laterite and Slate


Slate 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   
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism   

History
  
  

Origin
India   
England   

Discoverer
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1   
From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic   
Foliated   

Color
Brown, Buff, Red   
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Light to Dark Grey, Purple, Red, Shades of Blue   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Rough and Banded   
Dull   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration   
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone   
As Dimension Stone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums   
Blackboards, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Standard material for the bed of Billiard table, Standard material for the beds of Pool and Snooker table, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Writing Slates   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock   
Easily splits into thin plates, Surfaces are often shiny, 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
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.   
Slate is a low grade metamorphic rock that is generally formed by metamorphosis of mudstone or shale, under relatively low pressure and temperature conditions.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   
Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional 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, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
2   
3-4   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Splintery   

Streak
White   
Light to dark brown   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Dull   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
30.00 N/mm2   
30

Cleavage
Not Applicable   
Slaty   

Toughness
Not Available   
1.2   

Specific Gravity
Not Available   
2.65-2.8   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
Not Available   
2.6-2.8 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.76 kJ/Kg K   
17

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
India   
China, India, Turkey   

Africa
East Africa, Western Africa   
Not Yet Found   

Europe
England, Romania, Scotland   
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Arctic   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
USA   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Brazil   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia   
Not Yet Found   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Laterite and Slate Properties

Know all about Laterite and Slate properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Laterite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Slate belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic whereas that of Slate is Foliated. Laterite appears Rough and Banded and Slate appears Dull. The luster of Laterite and Slate is dull. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas Slate is available in black, brown, buff, green, light to dark grey, purple, red, shades of blue colors. The commercial uses of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums and that of Slate are blackboards, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, standard material for the bed of billiard table, standard material for the beds of pool and snooker table, tombstones, used in aquariums, writing slates.

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