Definition
Phyllite is a fine-grained metamorphic rock with a well-developed laminar structure, and is intermediate between slate and schist rocks
  
Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.
  
History
  
  
Origin
Unknown
  
USA
  
Discoverer
Unknown
  
Unknown
  
Etymology
From Greek phullon leaf + -ite1
  
From pseudo- + tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.
  
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Metamorphic Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Phyllitic Sheen, Slaty
  
Quench
  
Color
Black to Grey, Light Greenish Grey
  
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White
  
Maintenance
More
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Appearance
Crinkled or Wavy
  
Dull and Soft
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone
  
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture
  
Artifacts, Monuments
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Writing Slates
  
Creating Artwork, Gemstone
  
Types
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny
  
Host Rock for Lead
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Data Not Available
  
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
  
Fossils
Absent
  
Absent
  
Formation
Phyllite is a metamorphic rock which is formed by regional metamorphism of argillaceous sediments since their cleavage arose due to deviatoric stress.
  
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Albite, Alusite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc, Zircon
  
Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides
  
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
  
Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Not Applicable
  
Erosion
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Not Applicable
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
1-2
  
7
  
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Very fine-grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Uneven
  
Streak
White
  
Light to dark brown
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Phyllitic
  
Vitreous
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
60.00 N/mm
2
  
25
Cleavage
Crenulation and Pervasive
  
Irregular
  
Toughness
1.2
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
2.72-2.73
  
2.46-2.86
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Transparent to Translucent
  
Density
2.18-3.3 g/cm3
  
2.7-2.9 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
  
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
  
Heat Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
  
South Korea
  
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
  
Western Africa
  
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
  
Great Britain, Switzerland
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
  
Not Yet Found
  
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
  
Central Australia, Western Australia
  
Phyllite vs Pseudotachylite 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 Pseudotachylite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Phyllite and Properties of Pseudotachylite. Learn more about Phyllite vs Pseudotachylite in the next section. The interior uses of Phyllite include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Pseudotachylite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Phyllite and Pseudotachylite, 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 Pseudotachylite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement.
More about Phyllite and Pseudotachylite
Here you can know more about Phyllite and Pseudotachylite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Phyllite and Pseudotachylite 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 Pseudotachylite includes Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Phyllite vs Pseudotachylite, 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, Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors. Appearance of Phyllite is Crinkled or Wavy and that of Pseudotachylite is Dull and Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Phyllite vs Pseudotachylite. The hardness of Phyllite is 1-2 and that of Pseudotachylite is 7. The types of Phyllite are Not Available whereas types of Pseudotachylite are Not Available. 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 Pseudotachylite is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Phyllite is Not Available and that of Pseudotachylite is 0.92 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 Pseudotachylite is heat resistant.