Definition
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate
Phyllite is a fine-grained metamorphic rock with a well-developed laminar structure, and is intermediate between slate and schist rocks
Origin
New Zealand
Unknown
Discoverer
Belsazar Hacquet
Unknown
Etymology
From lime and stone in late 14th Century
From Greek phullon leaf + -ite1
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Phyllitic Sheen, Slaty
Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow
Black to Grey, Light Greenish Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Banded
Crinkled or Wavy
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
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, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone
Medical Industry
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts, Sculpture
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, Writing Slates
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
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
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
Famous Sculptures
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India
Data Not Available
Formation
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.
Phyllite is a metamorphic rock which is formed by regional metamorphism of argillaceous sediments since their cleavage arose due to deviatoric stress.
Mineral Content
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt
Albite, Alusite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, 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, Coastal Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Pearly
Phyllitic
Compressive Strength
Not Available
Cleavage
Non-Existent
Crenulation and Pervasive
Specific Gravity
2.3-2.7
2.72-2.73
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.3-2.7 g/cm3
2.18-3.3 g/cm3
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
Resistance
Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
United Kingdom
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Colombia
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
Limestone vs Phyllite 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 Phyllite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Limestone and Properties of Phyllite. Learn more about Limestone vs Phyllite in the next section. The interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Phyllite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Limestone and Phyllite, 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 Phyllite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone.
More about Limestone and Phyllite
Here you can know more about Limestone and Phyllite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Limestone and Phyllite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt and mineral content of Phyllite includes Albite, Alusite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Limestone vs Phyllite, 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, Phyllite is available in black to grey, light greenish grey colors. Appearance of Limestone is Rough and Banded and that of Phyllite is Crinkled or Wavy. Properties of rock is another aspect for Limestone vs Phyllite. The hardness of Limestone is 3-4 and that of Phyllite is 1-2. The types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa whereas types of Phyllite 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 Phyllite is white. The specific heat capacity of Limestone is 0.91 kJ/Kg K and that of Phyllite 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 Phyllite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant.