Definition
Mudstone is a fine-grained, dark gray sedimentary rock, which is formed from silt and clay and is similar to shale but has less laminations
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds
Discoverer
Unknown
John Peter Salley
Etymology
From the English mud and stone, from low German mudde and stainaz
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft 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
Amorphous, Glassy
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Not Yet Used
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Roof Tiles
Not Yet Used
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Antiquity Uses
Sculpture, Small Figurines
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Creating Artwork, Pottery
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
Types
Marl, Shale and Argillite
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Sculpture
Used
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Not Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Not Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet Used
Formation
Mudstone forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settle at the bottom of water bodies. They are buried and compacted by overlying sediment hence forming mudstone.
Coal forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment which is buried by sediments such as mud or sand and then compacted to form coal.
Mineral Content
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Not Applicable
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
Not Applicable
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Not Available
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Cleavage
Perfect
Non-Existent
Toughness
2.6
Not Available
Specific Gravity
2.2-2.8
1.1-1.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.4-2.8 g/cm3
1100-1400 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
All about Mudstone and Coal Properties
Know all about Mudstone and Coal properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Mudstone and Coal belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Mudstone is Clastic whereas that of Coal is Amorphous, Glassy. Mudstone appears Rough and Dull and Coal appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Mudstone is dull while that of Coal is dull to vitreous to submetallic. Mudstone is available in black, blue, brown, green, grey, orange, red, white, yellow colors whereas Coal is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Mudstone are creating artwork, pottery and that of Coal are alumina refineries, electricity generation, liquid fuel, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, paper industry.