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Siltstone and Soapstone


Soapstone and Siltstone


Definition

Definition
Siltstone can be defined as a fine-grained sedimentary rock which mainly consists of consolidated silt   
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
USA   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From English word silt and stone and from Proto-Indo-European root sal and stainaz   
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap   

Class
Sedimentary Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock   
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Clastic   
Polished   

Color
Brown, Red, Reddish Brown   
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
No   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
No   

Appearance
Rough   
Dull, Banded and Foilated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration   
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar   
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Soil Conditioner   
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Easily splits into thin plates, Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Very fine grained rock   
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
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Not Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Not Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Present   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Siltstone is a type of sedimentary rock which is formed from fine rock particles. As the particles of eroded rock travel along with water, the edges of the rock are worn-out by water into a rounded shape.   
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
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz, Sand, Silica, Silt   
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide   
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
6-7   
1   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
Black   

Porosity
Highly Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Greasy   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
225.00 N/mm2   
7

Cleavage
Not Available   
Perfect   

Toughness
2.6   
1   

Specific Gravity
2.54-2.73   
2.86   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.6-2.7 g/cm3   
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.88 kJ/Kg K   
13

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan   
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand   

Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa   

Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Colombia   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Siltstone and Soapstone Properties

Know all about Siltstone and Soapstone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Siltstone belongs to Sedimentary Rocks while Soapstone belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Siltstone is Clastic whereas that of Soapstone is Polished. Siltstone appears Rough and Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Siltstone is dull while that of Soapstone is greasy. Siltstone is available in brown, red, reddish brown colors whereas Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Siltstone are raw material for the manufacture of mortar, soil conditioner 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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