Definition
Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone
Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From quartz + -ite
From French, Latin lignum wood + -ite1
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated, Granular
Amorphous, Glassy
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Lustrous
Veined or Pebbled
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes
-
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
-
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
-
Construction Industry
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone
for Road Aggregate, Steel Production
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
-
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As armour rock for sea walls, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, In aquifers, Laboratory bench tops, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums
Electricity Generation
Types
Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite
Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite
Features
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Generally rough to touch, Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.
Coal formation takes place due to accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. The Coal formation process continues, as peat turns into lignite brown or black coal at increasing heat and pressure.
Mineral Content
Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
-
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Vitreous
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Specific Gravity
2.6-2.8
1.1-1.4
Transparency
Transparent to Translucent
Opaque
Density
2.32-2.42 g/cm3
800-801 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom
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
Bahamas, Canada, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
Quartzite vs Lignite 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. Quartzite vs Lignite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Quartzite and Properties of Lignite. Learn more about Quartzite vs Lignite in the next section. The interior uses of Quartzite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes whereas the interior uses of Lignite include . Due to some exceptional properties of Quartzite and Lignite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Quartzite in construction industry include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of glass and ceramics, Rail track ballast, Roadstone and that of Lignite include For road aggregate, Steel production.
More about Quartzite and Lignite
Here you can know more about Quartzite and Lignite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Quartzite and Lignite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Quartzite includes Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz and mineral content of Lignite includes . You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Quartzite vs Lignite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow colors whereas, Lignite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Quartzite is Lustrous and that of Lignite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Quartzite vs Lignite. The hardness of Quartzite is 6-7 and that of Lignite is 1. The types of Quartzite are Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite whereas types of Lignite are Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Quartzite is white while that of Lignite is black. The specific heat capacity of Quartzite is 0.75 kJ/Kg K and that of Lignite is 1.26 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Quartzite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant whereas Lignite is heat resistant.