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Quartzite
Quartzite

Limestone
Limestone



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Quartzite vs Limestone

Definition

Definition

Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate

History

Origin

-
New Zealand

Discoverer

Unknown
Belsazar Hacquet

Etymology

From quartz + -ite
From lime and stone in late 14th Century

Class

Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Foliated, Granular
Clastic or Non-Clastic

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less
More

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Lustrous
Rough and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

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
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium

Medical Industry

-
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

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
Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Types

Types

Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa

Features

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Present

Formation

Formation

Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.

Composition

Mineral Content

Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt

Compound Content

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-73-4
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium Grained
Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
Splintery

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous
Dull to Pearly

Compressive Strength

115.00 N/mm2115.00 N/mm2
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

Indiscernible
-

Toughness

1.9
1

Specific Gravity

2.6-2.82.3-2.7
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Transparent to Translucent
Opaque

Density

2.32-2.42 g/cm32.3-2.7 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.75 kJ/Kg K0.91 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Europe

England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom
United Kingdom

Others

Greenland
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Bahamas, Canada, USA
USA

South America

Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela
Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula

Quartzite vs Limestone 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 Quartzite and Limestone Reserves. Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone. Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. 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 Quartzite vs Limestone information and Quartzite vs Limestone characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Quartzite vs Limestone 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 Limestone characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Quartzite and Properties of Limestone. Learn more about Quartzite vs Limestone in the next section. The interior uses of Quartzite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes whereas the interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Quartzite and Limestone, 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 Limestone include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium.

More about Quartzite and Limestone

Here you can know more about Quartzite and Limestone. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Quartzite and Limestone 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 Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Quartzite vs Limestone, 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, Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Quartzite is Lustrous and that of Limestone is Rough and Banded. Properties of rock is another aspect for Quartzite vs Limestone. The hardness of Quartzite is 6-7 and that of Limestone is 3-4. The types of Quartzite are Orthoquartzite and Metaquartzite whereas types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Quartzite and Limestone is white. The specific heat capacity of Quartzite is 0.75 kJ/Kg K and that of Limestone is 0.91 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 Limestone is pressure resistant.