Home
Compare Rocks


Schist and Anthracite


Anthracite and Schist


Definition

Definition
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation   
Anthracite is a type of sedimentary rock which is hard and is variety of coal that has high luster   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
Pennsylvania, U.S.   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split   
From Greek anthrakites, from anthrax, anthrak meaning coal   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Foliated, Platy   
Amorphous, Glassy   

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver   
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
No   
No   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Layered and Shiny   
Veined or Pebbled   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration   
Not Yet Used   

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone   
Not Yet Used   

Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone   
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Manufacture of Aspirins   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Not Yet Used   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates   
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry   

Types

Types
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.   
Semi-anthracite and Meta-anthracite   

Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch   
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.   
Anthracite forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. When plant debris dies and falls into the swamp, the standing water of the swamp protects it from decay.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc   
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals   

Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO   
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No   
Yes   

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable   
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
Yes   
No   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Not Applicable   

Erosion
Yes   
No   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion   
Not Applicable   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3.5-4   
1-1.5   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
Black   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Shiny   
Shiny   

Cleavage
Slaty   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
1.5   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9   
1.1-1.4   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   
1.25-2.5 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
1.32 kJ/Kg K   
4

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Water Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam   

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa   
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland   
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom   

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA   
Canada, Mexico, USA   

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana   
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Schist and Anthracite Properties

Know all about Schist and Anthracite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Schist and Anthracite belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Schist is Foliated, Platy whereas that of Anthracite is Amorphous, Glassy. Schist appears Layered and Shiny and Anthracite appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Schist and Anthracite is shiny. Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors whereas Anthracite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Schist are used in aquariums, writing slates and that of Anthracite are alumina refineries, electricity generation, liquid fuel, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, paper industry.

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

» More Metamorphic Rocks

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

» More Compare Metamorphic Rocks