Home

Igneous Rocks + -

Fossil Rocks + -

Metamorphic Rocks + -

Durable Rocks + -

Medium Grained Rocks + -

Compare Rocks


Limestone vs Argillite


Argillite vs Limestone


Definition

Definition
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate   
Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate   

History
  
  

Origin
New Zealand   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Belsazar Hacquet   
Unknown   

Etymology
From lime and stone in late 14th Century   
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic   
Clastic, Polished   

Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow   
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
No   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
Yes   

Appearance
Rough and Banded   
Rough and Dull   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing, Whetstones   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium   
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   

Medical Industry
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper   
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends   

Types

Types
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa   
Not Available   

Features
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits   
Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.   
An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt   
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO   
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, 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   
Biological Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion   
Chemical Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-4   
2-3   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Splintery   
Conchoidal to Uneven   

Streak
White   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull to Pearly   
Waxy and Dull   

Compressive Strength
115.00 N/mm2   
18
Not Available   

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Slaty   

Toughness
1   
2.6   

Specific Gravity
2.3-2.7   
2.56-2.68   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.3-2.7 g/cm3   
2.54-2.66 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.91 kJ/Kg K   
11
0.87 kJ/Kg K   
14

Resistance
Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam   
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia   

Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe   
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
United Kingdom   
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
USA   

South America
Colombia   
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia   

Definition >>
<< All

Limestone vs Argillite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Limestone and Argillite Reserves. Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Limestone vs Argillite information and Limestone vs Argillite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

Limestone vs Argillite 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. Limestone vs Argillite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Limestone and Properties of Argillite. Learn more about Limestone vs Argillite in the next section. The interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Argillite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Limestone and Argillite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Limestone in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium and that of Argillite include Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..

More about Limestone and Argillite

Here you can know more about Limestone and Argillite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Limestone and Argillite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt and mineral content of Argillite includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Limestone vs Argillite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors whereas, Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Limestone is Rough and Banded and that of Argillite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Limestone vs Argillite. The hardness of Limestone is 3-4 and that of Argillite is 2-3. The types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa whereas types of Argillite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Limestone is white while that of Argillite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Limestone is 0.91 kJ/Kg K and that of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Limestone is pressure resistant whereas Argillite is heat resistant, impact resistant.

Fossil Rocks

Fossil Rocks

» More Fossil Rocks

Compare Sedimentary Rocks

» More Compare Sedimentary Rocks