Litchfieldite and Argillite

Litchfieldite

Argillite

Definition

Litchfieldite is a rare igneous rock which is coarse-grained, foliated and a variety of nepheline syenite, sometimes also called as nepheline syenite gneiss or gneissic nepeheline syenite

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

USA

Unknown

Discoverer

Bayley

Unknown

Etymology

From its occurrence at Litchfield, Maine, USA

From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite

Class

Igneous Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Not Applicable

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Granular

Clastic, Polished

Color

Brown, Buff, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

Acid Resistant

Yes

Appearance

Banded and Foilated

Rough and Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Production of Glass and Ceramics

Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork

Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends

Types

Borolanite and Litchfieldite

Not Available

Features

Application of acids on the surface causes cloudy frosting, Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Dissolves in hydrochloric acid, Is one of the oldest rock

Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

Litchfieldite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.

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

Albite, Amphibole, Biotite, Cancrinite, Feldspar, Hornblende, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Sodalite

Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Not Applicable

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5.5-6

2-3

Grain Size

Coarse Grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

White

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Greasy to Dull

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

150.00 N/mm²

Not Available

Cleavage

Poor

Slaty

Toughness

Not Available

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.6

2.56-2.68

Transparency

Translucent to Opaque

Opaque

Density

2.6 g/cm³

2.54-2.66 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

Not Available

0.87 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Not Yet Found

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

South Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Finland, Norway, Portugal

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Others

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada

USA

South America

Brazil

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Not Yet Found

New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Litchfieldite and Argillite Properties

Know all about Litchfieldite and Argillite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Litchfieldite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Argillite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Litchfieldite is Granular whereas that of Argillite is Clastic, Polished. Litchfieldite appears Banded and Foilated and Argillite appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Litchfieldite is greasy to dull while that of Argillite is waxy and dull. Litchfieldite is available in brown, buff, cream, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Litchfieldite are creating artwork and that of Argillite are fire resistant, used to manufracture paperweights and bookends.