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Lignite and Laterite


Laterite and Lignite


Definition

Definition
Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat   
Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas   

History
  
  

Origin
France   
India   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Francis Buchanan-Hamilton   

Etymology
From French, Latin lignum wood + -ite1   
From Latin later brick, tile + -ite1   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Amorphous, Glassy   
Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic   

Color
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey   
Brown, Buff, Red   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
No   

Scratch Resistant
No   
No   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Veined or Pebbled   
Rough and Banded   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Not Yet Used   
Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
Not Yet Used   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration   

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Steel Production   
Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Not Yet Used   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

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

Types

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   
Is one of the oldest rock, 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   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Present   

Formation

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.   
Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Not Available   
Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

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

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
1   
2   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
Black   
White   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic   
Dull   

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Not Applicable   

Toughness
Not Available   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4   
Not Available   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
800-801 g/cm3   
Not Available   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
1.26 kJ/Kg K   
5
Not Available   

Resistance
Heat Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

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

Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania   
East Africa, Western Africa   

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

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Mexico, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Lignite and Laterite Properties

Know all about Lignite and Laterite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Lignite and Laterite belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Lignite is Amorphous, Glassy whereas that of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic. Lignite appears Veined or Pebbled and Laterite appears Rough and Banded. The luster of Lignite is dull to vitreous to submetallic while that of Laterite is dull. Lignite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors whereas Laterite is available in brown, buff, red colors. The commercial uses of Lignite are electricity generation and that of Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums.

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