Definition
Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas
Flint is a hard type of sedimentary rock that produces a small piece of burning material when hit by steel
Discoverer
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton
Unknown
Etymology
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1
From Old English flint - a type of rock mainly known for high hardness and for giving off sparks when struck
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic
Banded, Rough
Color
Brown, Buff, Red
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Banded
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone
Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Spear Points
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums
Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms
Types
Not Available
Not Available
Features
Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.
Flint is formed by the decomposition and compaction of various organisms such as sponges and diatoms under the water.
Mineral Content
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene
Silicon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Not Applicable
Non-Existent
Toughness
Not Available
1.5
Specific Gravity
Not Available
2.5-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
Not Available
2.7-2.71 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India
Azerbaijan, China, Russia
Africa
East Africa, Western Africa
Not Yet Found
Europe
England, Romania, Scotland
Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Denmark, France, Germany, Italy, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
USA
South America
Not Yet Found
Bolivia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, Western Australia
New Zealand, South Australia
Laterite vs Flint 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. Laterite vs Flint characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Laterite and Properties of Flint. Learn more about Laterite vs Flint in the next section. The interior uses of Laterite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Flint include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Laterite and Flint, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Laterite in construction industry include Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone and that of Flint include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Spear points.
More about Laterite and Flint
Here you can know more about Laterite and Flint. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Laterite and Flint consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Laterite includes Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene and mineral content of Flint includes Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Laterite vs Flint, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors whereas, Flint is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Laterite is Rough and Banded and that of Flint is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Laterite vs Flint. The hardness of Laterite is 2 and that of Flint is 7. The types of Laterite are Not Available whereas types of Flint are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Laterite and Flint is white. The specific heat capacity of Laterite is Not Available and that of Flint is 0.74 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Laterite is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Flint is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.