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Limestone vs Hornfels


Hornfels vs Limestone


Definition

Definition
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate   
Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock   

History
  
  

Origin
New Zealand   
New Zealand   

Discoverer
Belsazar Hacquet   
Unknown   

Etymology
From lime and stone in late 14th Century   
From German which means hornstone   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Metamorphic 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   
Granular, Platy   

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

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   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, 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   
for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   

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

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

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   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa   
Biotite hornfels   

Features
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits   
Smooth to touch   

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   
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

Formation
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.   
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Hornfels is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt   
Andalusite   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO   
Fe, Mg   

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, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-4   
2-3   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Splintery   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
Unknown   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull to Pearly   
Shiny   

Compressive Strength
115.00 N/mm2   
18
5.80 N/mm2   
31

Cleavage
Non-Existent   
Perfect   

Toughness
1   
Not Yet Found   

Specific Gravity
2.3-2.7   
3.4-3.9   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.3-2.7 g/cm3   
0.25-0.30 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.91 kJ/Kg K   
11
0.84 kJ/Kg K   
15

Resistance
Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam   
Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, North Korea, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea, Thailand   

Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe   
Cameroon, East Africa, Tanzania, Western Africa   

Europe
United Kingdom   
United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Colombia   
Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Limestone vs Hornfels 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 Hornfels Reserves. Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. Hornfels is a metamorphic rock formed by the contact between mudstone or other clay rich rock, and a hot igneous body, and represents a heat altered equivalent of the original rock. 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 Hornfels information and Limestone vs Hornfels characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Limestone vs Hornfels 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 Hornfels characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Limestone and Properties of Hornfels. Learn more about Limestone vs Hornfels in the next section. The interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Hornfels include Decorative aggregates, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Limestone and Hornfels, 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 Hornfels include For road aggregate, Roadstone.

More about Limestone and Hornfels

Here you can know more about Limestone and Hornfels. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Limestone and Hornfels consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt and mineral content of Hornfels includes Andalusite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Limestone vs Hornfels, 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, Hornfels is available in brown, dark greenish - grey, green, reddish brown colors. Appearance of Limestone is Rough and Banded and that of Hornfels is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Limestone vs Hornfels. The hardness of Limestone is 3-4 and that of Hornfels is 2-3. The types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa whereas types of Hornfels are Biotite hornfels. 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 Hornfels is unknown. The specific heat capacity of Limestone is 0.91 kJ/Kg K and that of Hornfels is 0.84 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 Hornfels is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant.

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