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
William Smith
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
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
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Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Roof Tiles
-
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
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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
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
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
-
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Types of Weathering
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
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Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion
-
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
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
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
Mudstone vs Coal 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. Mudstone vs Coal characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Mudstone and Properties of Coal. Learn more about Mudstone vs Coal in the next section. The interior uses of Mudstone include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Coal include . Due to some exceptional properties of Mudstone and Coal, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Mudstone in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Coal include Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel production.
More about Mudstone and Coal
Here you can know more about Mudstone and Coal. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Mudstone and Coal consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Mudstone includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz and mineral content of Coal includes 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. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Mudstone vs Coal, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. 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. Appearance of Mudstone is Rough and Dull and that of Coal is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Mudstone vs Coal. The hardness of Mudstone is 2-3 and that of Coal is 1-1.5. The types of Mudstone are Marl, Shale and Argillite whereas types of Coal are Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Mudstone is white while that of Coal is black. The specific heat capacity of Mudstone is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Coal is 1.32 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Mudstone is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Coal is heat resistant.