Definition
A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.
Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth
History
Origin
USA
Germany
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From English word serpentinization.
From diatom + -ite1
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Family
Group
-
-
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Clastic or Non-Clastic
Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White
Grey, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Non-Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Rough and Dull
Soft
Architecture
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium
Medical Industry
-
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork
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
Jadeitite
Diatomite
Features
Host Rock for Lead
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
Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.
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
Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand
Compound Content
Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur
Ca, NaCl, CaO
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
-
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
3-51
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Uneven
-
Streak
White, Greenish White or Grey
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Waxy and Dull
Dull
Compressive Strength
310.00 N/mm2-
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
-
-
Toughness
7
1
Specific Gravity
2.79-32.3-2.4
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.5-3 g/cm32.49-2.51 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.95 kJ/Kg K0.90 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Africa
Ethiopia, Western Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe
Europe
England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom
England, France, Germany, Spain, United Kingdom
Others
-
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada
Canada, USA
South America
Colombia
Colombia
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula