Definition
Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat
  
Cataclasite is a type of cataclastic rock that is formed by fracturing and comminution during faulting. It is normally cohesive and non-foliated, consisting of angular clasts in a finer-grained matrix
  
History
  
  
Origin
France
  
Swiss Alps, Europe
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Michael Tellinger
  
Etymology
From French, Latin lignum wood + -ite1
  
From the Italian word cataclasi
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness 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
Amorphous, Glassy
  
Clastic
  
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
  
Brown, Green, White, Yellow
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
  
Dull and Banded
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Decorative Aggregates, Homes
  
Exterior Uses
Not Yet Used
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Steel Production
  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Electricity Generation
  
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
  
Types
Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite
  
Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite
  
Features
Generally rough to touch, Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
  
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Present
  
Absent
  
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.
  
Cataclasiste rocks mainly form by pressure deep under the Earth's surface, from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Not Available
  
Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz
  
Compound Content
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
  
Silicon Dioxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
No
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
1
  
3-4
  
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fine Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
NA
  
Streak
Black
  
Black
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
  
Vitreous
  
Cleavage
Non-Existent
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4
  
2.1
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Translucent to Opaque
  
Density
800-801 g/cm3
  
2.9-3.1 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
1.26 kJ/Kg K
  
5
Not Available
  
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, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea
  
Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Madagascar, Morocco, South Africa
  
Europe
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
  
England, Finland, France, Spain, United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
  
Argentina, Colombia
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
  
Central Australia, Western Australia
  
Lignite vs Cataclasite 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. Lignite vs Cataclasite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Lignite and Properties of Cataclasite. Learn more about Lignite vs Cataclasite in the next section. The interior uses of Lignite include Not yet used whereas the interior uses of Cataclasite include Decorative aggregates and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Lignite and Cataclasite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Lignite in construction industry include For road aggregate, Steel production and that of Cataclasite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Lignite and Cataclasite
Here you can know more about Lignite and Cataclasite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Lignite and Cataclasite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Lignite is not available and mineral content of Cataclasite includes Albite, Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Calcite, Enstatite, Epidote, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyroxene, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Lignite vs Cataclasite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Lignite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors whereas, Cataclasite is available in brown, green, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Lignite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Cataclasite is Dull and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Lignite vs Cataclasite. The hardness of Lignite is 1 and that of Cataclasite is 3-4. The types of Lignite are Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite whereas types of Cataclasite are Protocataclasite, Mesocataclasite, Ultracataclasite and Foliated cataclasite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Lignite and Cataclasite is black. The specific heat capacity of Lignite is 1.26 kJ/Kg K and that of Cataclasite is Not Available. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Lignite is heat resistant whereas Cataclasite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.