Pseudotachylite

Argillite

Pseudotachylite and Argillite

Pseudotachylite

Argillite

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Definition

Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.

Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate

History

Origin

USA

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From pseudo- +‎ tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.

From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Quench

Clastic, Polished

Color

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull and Soft

Rough and Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Gemstone

Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends

Types

Cataclastic rock

Metamorphic rock

Features

Host Rock for Lead

Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

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.

An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.

Composition

Mineral Content

Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides

Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz

Compound Content

Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

72-3

1 7

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Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

Light to dark brown

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Vitreous

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

60.00 N/mm²-

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

2.6

Specific Gravity

2.46-2.862.56-2.68

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Transparent to Translucent

Opaque

Density

2.7-2.9 g/cm³2.54-2.66 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.92 kJ/Kg K0.87 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

South Korea

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

Western Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Great Britain, Switzerland

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

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

South America

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

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

All about Pseudotachylite and Argillite Properties

Know all about Pseudotachylite and Argillite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Pseudotachylite belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Argillite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Pseudotachylite is Quench whereas that of Argillite is Clastic, Polished. Pseudotachylite appears Dull and Soft and Argillite appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Pseudotachylite is vitreous while that of Argillite is waxy and dull. Pseudotachylite is available in black, brown, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Pseudotachylite are creating artwork, gemstone and that of Argillite are fire resistant, used to manufracture paperweights and bookends.