Definition
Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat
A yellow sandstone which is flexible when cut into thin strips
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French, Latin lignum wood + -ite1
From the name of a mountain range where it was found; Itacolumi mountain in Brazil
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Amorphous, Glassy
Clastic, Granular, Rough
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Beige, Black, Brown, Colourless, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Rough
Interior Uses
Not Yet Used
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Exterior Uses
Not Yet Used
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Steel Production
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Not Yet Used
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Commercial Uses
Electricity Generation
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, In aquifers, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Types
Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite
Not Available
Features
Generally rough to touch, Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Used
Formation
Coal formation takes place due to accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. The Coal formation process continues, as peat turns into lignite brown or black coal at increasing heat and pressure.
Itacolumite is a sedimentary rock which forms from cemented sand-sized clasts and is a type of sandstone.
Mineral Content
Not Available
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Coarse or Fine
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Dull
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Perfect
Toughness
Not Available
2.6
Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4
2.2-2.8
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
800-801 g/cm3
2.2-2.8 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
New South Wales, New Zealand
All about Lignite and Itacolumite Properties
Know all about Lignite and Itacolumite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Lignite and Itacolumite belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Lignite is Amorphous, Glassy whereas that of Itacolumite is Clastic, Granular, Rough. Lignite appears Veined or Pebbled and Itacolumite appears Rough. The luster of Lignite is dull to vitreous to submetallic while that of Itacolumite is dull. Lignite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors whereas Itacolumite is available in beige, black, brown, colourless, cream, dark brown, green, grey, light green, light to dark grey, pink, red, white, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Lignite are electricity generation and that of Itacolumite are an oil and gas reservoir, in aquifers, petroleum reservoirs, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo), tombstones.