Metapelite

Slate

Metapelite and Slate

Metapelite

Slate

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Definition

Metapelite is an old and currently not widely used field geological term for a clay rich fine-grained clastic sediment or sedimentary rock, i.e. mud or a mudstone

Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism

History

Origin

England

Discoverer

Unknown

Abraham Gottlob Werner

Etymology

From Pelos or clay in Greek

From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Foliated

Color

Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Green, Light Greenish Grey

Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Light to Dark Grey, Purple, Red, Shades of Blue

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Banded

Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

As Dimension Stone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Blackboards, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Standard material for the bed of Billiard table, Standard material for the beds of Pool and Snooker table, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Writing Slates

Types

Metamorphic rock

Phyllite, Schist, and Slate

Features

Easily splits into thin plates, It is One of the Oldest, Strongest and Hardest Rock

Easily splits into thin plates, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Metapelite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Slate is a low grade metamorphic rock that is generally formed by metamorphosis of mudstone or shale, under relatively low pressure and temperature conditions.

Composition

Mineral Content

Albite, Chlorite, Quartz

Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, MgO

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

5-63-4

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Fibrous

Splintery

Streak

Light to dark brown

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Earthy

Dull

Compressive Strength

40.00 N/mm²30.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

1.2

Specific Gravity

3.4-3.72.65-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

0-300 g/cm³2.6-2.8 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.72 kJ/Kg K0.76 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Turkey

Africa

Western Africa

Europe

United Kingdom

Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom

Others

Arctic

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Metapelite and Slate Properties

Know all about Metapelite and Slate properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Metapelite and Slate belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Metapelite is Foliated whereas that of Slate is Foliated. Metapelite appears Banded and Slate appears Dull. The luster of Metapelite is earthy while that of Slate is dull. Metapelite is available in dark greenish - grey, green, light green, light greenish grey colors whereas Slate is available in black, brown, buff, green, light to dark grey, purple, red, shades of blue colors. The commercial uses of Metapelite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork and that of Slate are blackboards, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, standard material for the bed of billiard table, standard material for the beds of pool and snooker table, tombstones, used in aquariums, writing slates.