Definition
Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat
Metapelite is an old and currently not widely used field geological term for a clay rich fine-grained clastic sediment or sedimentary rock, i.e. mud or a mudstone
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French, Latin lignum wood + -ite1
From Pelos or clay in Greek
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness 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, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Amorphous, Glassy
Foliated
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Green, Light Greenish Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Banded
Interior Uses
Not Yet Used
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Not Yet Used
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Steel Production
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Not Yet Used
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Electricity Generation
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
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
Easily splits into thin plates, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest 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
Figurines
Not Yet Used
Not Yet 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.
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Metapelite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
Mineral Content
Not Available
Albite, Chlorite, Quartz
Compound Content
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, MgO
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Fibrous
Porosity
Highly Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Earthy
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Not Available
Toughness
Not Available
Not Available
Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4
3.4-3.7
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
800-801 g/cm3
0-300 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
Not Yet Found
Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Western Africa
Europe
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Not Available
South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
Central Australia, Western Australia
Lignite vs Metapelite 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 Metapelite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Lignite and Properties of Metapelite. Learn more about Lignite vs Metapelite in the next section. The interior uses of Lignite include Not yet used whereas the interior uses of Metapelite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Lignite and Metapelite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Lignite in construction industry include For road aggregate, Steel production and that of Metapelite include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.
More about Lignite and Metapelite
Here you can know more about Lignite and Metapelite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Lignite and Metapelite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Lignite is not available and mineral content of Metapelite includes Albite, Chlorite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Lignite vs Metapelite, 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, Metapelite is available in dark greenish - grey, green, light green, light greenish grey colors. Appearance of Lignite is Veined or Pebbled and that of Metapelite is Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Lignite vs Metapelite. The hardness of Lignite is 1 and that of Metapelite is 5-6. The types of Lignite are Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite whereas types of Metapelite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Lignite is black while that of Metapelite is unknown. The specific heat capacity of Lignite is 1.26 kJ/Kg K and that of Metapelite is 0.72 kJ/Kg K. 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 Metapelite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.