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Quartzite vs Limestone


Limestone vs Quartzite


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
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

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
Yes  
No  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
-  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
3-4  

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/mm2  
27
115.00 N/mm2  
27

Cleavage
Indiscernible  
-  

Toughness
1.9  
1  

Specific Gravity
2.6-2.8  
2.3-2.7  

Transparency
Transparent to Translucent  
Opaque  

Density
2.32-2.42 g/cm3  
2.3-2.7 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.75 kJ/Kg K  
20
0.91 kJ/Kg K  
11

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  

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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.

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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.

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