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Rhyolite
Rhyolite

Argillite
Argillite



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Rhyolite vs Argillite

Definition

Definition

Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica
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

North America
-

Discoverer

Ferdinand von Richthofen
Unknown

Etymology

From German Rhyolit, from Greek rhuax lava stream + lithos stone
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite

Class

Igneous Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic
-

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Aphanitic, Glassy, Porphyritic
Clastic, Polished

Color

Grey, White, Light Black
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White

Maintenance

More
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Banded
Rough and Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

Other Architectural Uses

-
Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Knives
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Gemstone, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends

Types

Types

Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks.
Metamorphic rock

Features

Acidic in nature, Available in lots of colors
Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Present

Formation

Formation

Rhyolite is a felsic extrusive rock and due to its high silica content, rhyolite lava is very viscous and is volcanic equivalent of granite.
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

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

Compound Content

Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
-

Weathering

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Biological Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

6-72-3
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Large and Coarse Grained
Fine Grained

Fracture

Sub-conchoidal
Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

-
White to Grey

Porosity

Highly Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Earthy
Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

140.00 N/mm2-
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

-
Slaty

Toughness

2
2.6

Specific Gravity

2.65-2.672.56-2.68
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.4-2.6 g/cm32.54-2.66 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.71 kJ/Kg K0.87 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

Africa

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

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

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Rhyolite vs Argillite 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 Rhyolite and Argillite Reserves. Rhyolite is a fine-grained igneous rock which is rich in silica. 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. 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 Rhyolite vs Argillite information and Rhyolite vs Argillite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Rhyolite vs Argillite 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. Rhyolite vs Argillite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Rhyolite and Properties of Argillite. Learn more about Rhyolite vs Argillite in the next section. The interior uses of Rhyolite include Decorative aggregates, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration and Kitchens whereas the interior uses of Argillite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Rhyolite and Argillite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Rhyolite in construction industry include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Knives and that of Argillite include Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..

More about Rhyolite and Argillite

Here you can know more about Rhyolite and Argillite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Rhyolite and Argillite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Rhyolite includes Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Argillite includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Igneous Rocks. When we have to compare Rhyolite vs Argillite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Rhyolite is available in grey, white, light black colors whereas, Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Rhyolite is Banded and that of Argillite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Rhyolite vs Argillite. The hardness of Rhyolite is 6-7 and that of Argillite is 2-3. The types of Rhyolite are Pumice Rocks, Obsidian Rocks, Perlite Rocks, Porphyritic Rocks. whereas types of Argillite are Metamorphic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Rhyolite is while that of Argillite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Rhyolite is 0.71 kJ/Kg K and that of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Rhyolite is heat resistant, wear resistant whereas Argillite is heat resistant, impact resistant.