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Schist vs Pyroxenite


Pyroxenite vs Schist


Definition

Definition
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation  
Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine  

History
  
  

Origin
-  
-  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split  
From pyro- fire + Greek xenos stranger as the mineral group was new to igneous rocks  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
Plutonic  

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

Texture

Texture
Foliated, Platy  
Clastic, Granular, Phaneritic, Porphyritic  

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver  
Black to Grey, Bluish - Grey, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Light Greenish Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
No  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Layered and Shiny  
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration, Kitchens  

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone  

Other Architectural Uses
-  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone  
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts  
Artifacts  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates  
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Jewelry, Sea Defence, Tombstones  

Types

Types
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.  
Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites  

Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch  
Generally rough to touch, Host rock for Diamond, Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

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.  
Pyroxenites are ultramafic igneous rocks which are made up of minerals of the pyroxene group, such as augite and diopside, hypersthene, bronzite or enstatite.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc  
Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene  

Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Chromium(III) Oxide, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Trioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Impact 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, Glacier Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3.5-4  
7  

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  
Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Uneven  

Streak
White  
White, Greenish White or Grey  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Shiny  
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic  

Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2  
22
150.00 N/mm2  
22

Cleavage
Slaty  
-  

Toughness
1.5  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9  
3.2-3.5  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  
3.1-3.6 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.70 kJ/Kg K  
24
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant  
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam  
India, Russia  

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa  
South Africa  

Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland  
Germany, Greece, Italy, Scotland, Turkey  

Others
-  
Greenland  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

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

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

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Schist vs Pyroxenite 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 Pyroxenite Reserves. Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation. Pyroxenite is a dark, greenish, granular intrusive igneous rock consisting mainly of pyroxenes and olivine. 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 Pyroxenite information and Schist vs Pyroxenite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Schist vs Pyroxenite 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 Pyroxenite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Schist and Properties of Pyroxenite. Learn more about Schist vs Pyroxenite in the next section. The interior uses of Schist include Decorative aggregates, Floor tiles and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Pyroxenite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Interior decoration and Kitchens. Due to some exceptional properties of Schist and Pyroxenite, 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 Pyroxenite include As dimension stone, Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate.

More about Schist and Pyroxenite

Here you can know more about Schist and Pyroxenite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Schist and Pyroxenite 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 Pyroxenite includes Amphibole, Augite, Bronzite, Chromite, Diopside, Enstatite, Garnet, Hornblende, Hypersthene, Magnetite, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Schist vs Pyroxenite, 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, Pyroxenite is available in black to grey, bluish - grey, dark greenish - grey, green, light greenish grey colors. Appearance of Schist is Layered and Shiny and that of Pyroxenite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Schist vs Pyroxenite. The hardness of Schist is 3.5-4 and that of Pyroxenite is 7. 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 Pyroxenite are Clinopyroxenites, Orthopyroxenites and Websterites. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Schist is white while that of Pyroxenite is white, greenish white or grey. The specific heat capacity of Schist is 0.70 kJ/Kg K and that of Pyroxenite is 0.84 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 Pyroxenite is impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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