Definition
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate
  
Carbonatite is intrusive or extrusive igneous rock which is defined by mineralogic composition, consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals
  
History
  
  
Origin
New Zealand
  
Tanzania
  
Discoverer
Belsazar Hacquet
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From lime and stone in late 14th Century
  
From any intrusive igneous rock, having a majority of carbonate minerals
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Igneous Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Plutonic
  
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic
  
Granular, Poikiloblastic
  
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
  
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
  
Maintenance
More
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Rough and Banded
  
Dull, Banded and Foilated
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
  
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
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
  
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Unknown, Unknown
  
Medical Industry
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
  
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
  
Artifacts
  
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
  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux
  
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
  
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Not Yet 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
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Present
  
Absent
  
Formation
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.
  
Carbonatites are intrusive or extrusive igneous rocks which are defined by mineralogic composition consisting of greater than 50 percent carbonate minerals and are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
  
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite
  
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
  
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Erosion
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
  
Chemical Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
3-4
  
3
  
Grain Size
Fine Grained
  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Splintery
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Dull to Pearly
  
Subvitreous to Dull
  
Compressive Strength
115.00 N/mm
2
  
18
Not Available
  
Cleavage
Non-Existent
  
Not Available
  
Toughness
1
  
1
  
Specific Gravity
2.3-2.7
  
2.86-2.87
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
2.3-2.7 g/cm3
  
2.84-2.86 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
0.91 kJ/Kg K
  
11
Not Available
  
Resistance
Pressure Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
  
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
  
Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
  
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Europe
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
USA
  
Canada, USA
  
South America
Colombia
  
Brazil
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
  
New South Wales, New Zealand
  
Limestone vs Carbonatite 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 Carbonatite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Limestone and Properties of Carbonatite. Learn more about Limestone vs Carbonatite in the next section. The interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Carbonatite include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Limestone and Carbonatite, 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 Carbonatite include As a flux in the production of steel and pig iron, As a sintering agent in steel industry to process iron ore, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories, Unknown, Unknown.
More about Limestone and Carbonatite
Here you can know more about Limestone and Carbonatite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Limestone and Carbonatite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt and mineral content of Carbonatite includes Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Limestone vs Carbonatite, 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, Carbonatite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Limestone is Rough and Banded and that of Carbonatite is Dull, Banded and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Limestone vs Carbonatite. The hardness of Limestone is 3-4 and that of Carbonatite is 3. The types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa whereas types of Carbonatite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Limestone and Carbonatite is white. The specific heat capacity of Limestone is 0.91 kJ/Kg K and that of Carbonatite is Not Available. 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 Carbonatite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.