Shale

Slate

Shale and Slate

Shale

Slate

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Definition

Shale is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed by the compaction of silt and clay-size mineral particles

Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism

History

Origin

England

Discoverer

Johann Gottlob Lehmann

Abraham Gottlob Werner

Etymology

From German Schalstein laminated limestone, and Schalgebirge layer of stone in stratified rock. From Old English scealu in its base sense of- thing that divides or separate,

From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)

Class

Sedimentary Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic, Splintery

Foliated

Color

Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Grey, Red, Yellow

Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Light to Dark Grey, Purple, Red, Shades of Blue

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Muddy

Dull

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads

Exterior Uses

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Office Buildings

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar

As Dimension Stone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork, Pottery

Blackboards, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Standard material for the bed of Billiard table, Standard material for the beds of Pool and Snooker table, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Writing Slates

Types

Red Shale, Black Shale, Green Shale, Grey Shale and Yellow Shale

Phyllite, Schist, and Slate

Features

Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock

Easily splits into thin plates, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Jantar Mantar in India

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Present

Absent

Formation

Shale forms when very fine-grained clay particles are deposited in water which settle at the bottom of water bodies. They are later compacted hence forming shale.

Slate is a low grade metamorphic rock that is generally formed by metamorphosis of mudstone or shale, under relatively low pressure and temperature conditions.

Composition

Mineral Content

Albite, Biotite, Calcite, Chert, Chlorite, Dolomite, Hematite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Silica, Sulfides

Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon

Compound Content

Ca, Fe, Mg, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

33-4

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Splintery

Streak

White

Light to dark brown

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Compressive Strength

95.00 N/mm²30.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

2.6

1.2

Specific Gravity

2.2-2.82.65-2.8

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.4-2.8 g/cm³2.6-2.8 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.39 kJ/Kg K0.76 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, China, India, Russia

China, India, Turkey

Africa

Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania

Europe

Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland

Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom

Others

Arctic

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

South America

Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

All about Shale and Slate Properties

Know all about Shale and Slate properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Shale belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Slate belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Shale is Clastic, Splintery whereas that of Slate is Foliated. Shale appears Muddy and Slate appears Dull. The luster of Shale and Slate is dull. Shale is available in black, brown, buff, green, grey, red, yellow colors whereas Slate is available in black, brown, buff, green, light to dark grey, purple, red, shades of blue colors. The commercial uses of Shale are creating artwork, pottery and that of Slate are blackboards, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, standard material for the bed of billiard table, standard material for the beds of pool and snooker table, tombstones, used in aquariums, writing slates.