Oil shale

Diatomite

Oil shale vs Diatomite

Oil shale

Diatomite

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Definition

Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted

Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth

History

Origin

Germany

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From Old English scealu in its base sense of thing that divides or separate

From diatom + -ite1

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Splintery

Clastic or Non-Clastic

Color

Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow

Grey, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Non-Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Muddy

Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Serves as an Oil and Gas Reservoir rock

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

An Oil and Gas Reservoir

Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Types

Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale

Diatomite

Features

Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained rock

Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Formation

Oil Shale forms on the beds of seas and lakes and its formation starts with the organic debris settling and accumulating at the bottom of a lake or sea which are then transformed into rock with the help of high temperature and pressure.

Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.

Composition

Mineral Content

Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides

Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand

Compound Content

Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium

Ca, NaCl, CaO

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

2-31

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Streak

White

Porosity

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull

Compressive Strength

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.2-2.82.3-2.4

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.4-2.8 g/cm³2.49-2.51 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.39 kJ/Kg K0.90 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, China, India, Israel, Jordan, Russia, Syria, Thailand, Turkey

Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Europe

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

England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom

Others

Greenland

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula

Oil shale vs Diatomite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Oil shale and Diatomite Reserves. Oil Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock from which oil is extracted. Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Oil shale vs Diatomite information and Oil shale vs Diatomite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Oil shale vs Diatomite 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. Oil shale vs Diatomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Oil shale and Properties of Diatomite. Learn more about Oil shale vs Diatomite in the next section. The interior uses of Oil shale include whereas the interior uses of Diatomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Oil shale and Diatomite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Oil shale in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Serves as an oil and gas reservoir rock and that of Diatomite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium.

More about Oil shale and Diatomite

Here you can know more about Oil shale and Diatomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Oil shale and Diatomite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Oil shale includes Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides and mineral content of Diatomite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Oil shale vs Diatomite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Oil shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors whereas, Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Oil shale is Muddy and that of Diatomite is Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Oil shale vs Diatomite. The hardness of Oil shale is 2-3 and that of Diatomite is 1. The types of Oil shale are Carbonate-rich Shale, Siliceous Shale and Cannel Shale whereas types of Diatomite are Diatomite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Oil shale and Diatomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Oil shale is 0.39 kJ/Kg K and that of Diatomite is 0.90 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Oil shale is heat resistant, impact resistant whereas Diatomite is heat resistant.