Schist and Soapstone
Definition
Definition
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc
History
Origin
Unknown
USA
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap
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
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Texture
Foliated, Platy
Polished
Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
Yes
Yes
Scratch Resistant
No
No
Stain Resistant
No
No
Wind Resistant
No
No
Acid Resistant
No
No
Appearance
Layered and Shiny
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Uses
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)
Types
Types
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
Not Available
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
Host Rock for Lead
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
Used
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
Data Not Available
Pictographs
Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Used
Figurines
Not Yet Used
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.
Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.
Composition
Mineral Content
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
CaO, Mg, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
No
Yes
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact 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
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fine Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Black
Porosity
Highly Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Shiny
Greasy
Compressive Strength
Not Available
225.00 N/mm2
7
Cleavage
Slaty
Perfect
Toughness
1.5
1
Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9
2.86
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available
0.88 kJ/Kg K
13
Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Reserves
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland
All about Schist and Soapstone Properties
Know all about Schist and Soapstone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Schist and Soapstone belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Schist is Foliated, Platy whereas that of Soapstone is Polished. Schist appears Layered and Shiny and Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Schist is shiny while that of Soapstone is greasy. Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors whereas Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Schist are used in aquariums, writing slates and that of Soapstone are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, production of lime, source of magnesia (mgo).
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