Definition
Phyllite is a fine-grained metamorphic rock with a well-developed laminar structure, and is intermediate between slate and schist rocks
Novaculite is a dense, hard, fine-grained, siliceous metamorpic rock which is a type of chert that breaks with conchoidal fracture
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From Greek phullon leaf + -ite1
From Latin word novacula, for razor stone
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Phyllitic Sheen, Slaty
Banded, Glassy, Rough, Vitreous
Color
Black to Grey, Light Greenish Grey
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Crinkled or Wavy
Glassy or Pearly
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone
Arrowheads, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone, Spear Points, Used to sharpen metal tools and weapons
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Writing Slates
Cemetery Markers, Gemstone, In aquifers, In fire-starting tools, Jewelry, Manufacture of tools, Pebbles are used in ball mills to grind in ceramics industry, To determine the gold content of jewelry
Types
Phyllite
Sedimentary rock
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Phyllite is a metamorphic rock which is formed by regional metamorphism of argillaceous sediments since their cleavage arose due to deviatoric stress.
Novaculite forms when microcrystals of silicon dioxide grow within soft sediments that become limestone or chalk. The formation of Novaculite can be either of chemical or biological origin.
Mineral Content
Albite, Alusite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc, Zircon
Quartz, Silicon
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Ca, Silicon Dioxide
Types of Metamorphism
-
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Phyllitic
Waxy and Dull
Cleavage
Crenulation and Pervasive
-
Specific Gravity
2.72-2.73
2.5-2.7
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent to Opaque
Density
2.18-3.3 g/cm3
2.7 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
China, India, Iran, Japan, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
Others
-
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Bolivia, Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
Phyllite vs Novaculite 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. Phyllite vs Novaculite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Phyllite and Properties of Novaculite. Learn more about Phyllite vs Novaculite in the next section. The interior uses of Phyllite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Novaculite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Phyllite and Novaculite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Phyllite in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone and that of Novaculite include Arrowheads, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Production of glass and ceramics, Rail track ballast, Roadstone, Spear points, Used to sharpen metal tools and weapons.
More about Phyllite and Novaculite
Here you can know more about Phyllite and Novaculite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Phyllite and Novaculite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Phyllite includes Albite, Alusite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc, Zircon and mineral content of Novaculite includes Quartz, Silicon. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Phyllite vs Novaculite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Phyllite is available in black to grey, light greenish grey colors whereas, Novaculite is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors. Appearance of Phyllite is Crinkled or Wavy and that of Novaculite is Glassy or Pearly. Properties of rock is another aspect for Phyllite vs Novaculite. The hardness of Phyllite is 1-2 and that of Novaculite is 7. The types of Phyllite are Phyllite whereas types of Novaculite are Sedimentary rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Phyllite is white while that of Novaculite is . The specific heat capacity of Phyllite is 0.79 kJ/Kg K and that of Novaculite is 0.74 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Phyllite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant whereas Novaculite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.