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Schist
Schist

Diatomite
Diatomite



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Diatomite

Schist vs Diatomite

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Definition

Definition

Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth

History

Origin

-
Germany

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
From diatom + -ite1

Class

Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

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

Texture

Texture

Foliated, Platy
Clastic or Non-Clastic

Color

Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
Grey, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Non-Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Layered and Shiny
Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

-
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium

Medical Industry

-
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts
Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Types

Types

Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
Diatomite

Features

Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

-
-

Famous Monuments

-
-

Sculpture

-
-

Famous Sculptures

-
-

Pictographs

-
-

Petroglyphs

-
-

Figurines

-
-

Fossils

Absent
Present

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.
Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.

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, Quartz, Sand

Compound Content

CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Ca, NaCl, CaO

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of 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, Glacier Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3.5-41
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
-

Streak

White
White

Porosity

Highly Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Shiny
Dull

Compressive Strength

150.00 N/mm2-
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty
-

Toughness

1.5
1

Specific Gravity

2.5-2.92.3-2.4
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm32.49-2.51 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.70 kJ/Kg K0.90 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

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

Europe

Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom

Others

-
-

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
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula

Schist vs Diatomite 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 Schist and Diatomite Reserves. Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation. Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth. 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 Schist vs Diatomite information and Schist vs Diatomite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Schist vs Diatomite 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. Schist vs Diatomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Schist and Properties of Diatomite. Learn more about Schist vs Diatomite in the next section. The interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Diatomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Schist and Diatomite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Schist in construction industry include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Roadstone and that of Diatomite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium.

More about Schist and Diatomite

Here you can know more about Schist and Diatomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Schist and Diatomite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Schist includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc and mineral content of Diatomite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Schist vs Diatomite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver colors whereas, Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Schist is Layered and Shiny and that of Diatomite is Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Schist vs Diatomite. The hardness of Schist is 3.5-4 and that of Diatomite is 1. The types of Schist are Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist. whereas types of Diatomite are Diatomite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Schist and Diatomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Schist is 0.70 kJ/Kg K and that of Diatomite is 0.90 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Schist is impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant whereas Diatomite is heat resistant.