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Limestone
Limestone

Diatomite
Diatomite



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Diatomite

Limestone vs Diatomite

Definition

Definition

Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate
Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth

History

Origin

New Zealand
Germany

Discoverer

Belsazar Hacquet
Unknown

Etymology

From lime and stone in late 14th Century
From diatom + -ite1

Class

Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Clastic or Non-Clastic
Clastic or Non-Clastic

Color

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

Maintenance

More
Less

Durability

Durable
Non-Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Rough and Banded
Soft

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
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

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 Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium

Medical Industry

In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
-

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
Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Types

Types

Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa
Diatomite

Features

Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

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
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Present
Present

Formation

Formation

Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.
Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.

Composition

Mineral Content

Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
Ca, NaCl, CaO

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

-
-

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-41
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Very fine-grained

Fracture

Splintery
-

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Dull to Pearly
Dull

Compressive Strength

115.00 N/mm2-
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
-

Toughness

1
1

Specific Gravity

2.3-2.72.3-2.4
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.3-2.7 g/cm32.49-2.51 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.91 kJ/Kg K0.90 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Europe

United Kingdom
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA
Canada, USA

South America

Colombia
Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula

Limestone vs Diatomite 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 Diatomite Reserves. Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth. 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 Diatomite information and Limestone vs Diatomite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Limestone vs Diatomite 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 Diatomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Limestone and Properties of Diatomite. Learn more about Limestone vs Diatomite in the next section. The interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Diatomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Limestone and Diatomite, 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 Diatomite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium.

More about Limestone and Diatomite

Here you can know more about Limestone and Diatomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Limestone and Diatomite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt and mineral content of Diatomite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Limestone vs Diatomite, 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, Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Limestone is Rough and Banded and that of Diatomite is Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Limestone vs Diatomite. The hardness of Limestone is 3-4 and that of Diatomite is 1. The types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa whereas types of Diatomite are Diatomite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Limestone and Diatomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Limestone is 0.91 kJ/Kg K and that of Diatomite is 0.90 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 Diatomite is heat resistant.