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Siltstone vs Slate


Slate vs Siltstone


Definition

Definition
Siltstone can be defined as a fine-grained sedimentary rock which mainly consists of consolidated silt  
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
Unknown  
Abraham Gottlob Werner  

Etymology
From English word silt and stone and from Proto-Indo-European root sal and stainaz  
From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
-  

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic  
Foliated  

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

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
No  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Rough  
Dull  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

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  
As Dimension Stone  

Medical Industry
-  
-  

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Soil Conditioner  
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

Types
Siltstone  
Phyllite, Schist, and Slate  

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

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
-  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

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.   
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
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz, Sand, Silica, Silt  
Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon  

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
-  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic 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  
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
6-7  
3-4  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Very fine-grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Splintery  

Streak
White  
Light to dark brown  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Dull  
Dull  

Compressive Strength
30.00 N/mm2  
99+
30.00 N/mm2  
99+

Cleavage
-  
Slaty  

Toughness
2.6  
1.2  

Specific Gravity
2.54-2.73  
2.65-2.8  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

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

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.84 kJ/Kg K  
15
0.76 kJ/Kg K  
19

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan  
China, India, Turkey  

Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa  
-  

Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom  
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom  

Others
Greenland  
Arctic  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
USA  

South America
Brazil  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand  
-  

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Siltstone vs Slate 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 Siltstone and Slate Reserves. Siltstone can be defined as a fine-grained sedimentary rock which mainly consists of consolidated silt. 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. 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 Siltstone vs Slate information and Siltstone vs Slate characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Siltstone vs Slate 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. Siltstone vs Slate characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Siltstone and Properties of Slate. Learn more about Siltstone vs Slate in the next section. The interior uses of Siltstone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Slate include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Floor tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior decoration, Kitchens and Stair treads. Due to some exceptional properties of Siltstone and Slate, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Siltstone in construction industry include Building houses or walls, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar and that of Slate include As dimension stone.

More about Siltstone and Slate

Here you can know more about Siltstone and Slate. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Siltstone and Slate consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Siltstone includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz, Sand, Silica, Silt and mineral content of Slate includes Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Siltstone vs Slate, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Siltstone is available in brown, red, reddish brown colors whereas, Slate is available in black, brown, buff, green, light to dark grey, purple, red, shades of blue colors. Appearance of Siltstone is Rough and that of Slate is Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Siltstone vs Slate. The hardness of Siltstone is 6-7 and that of Slate is 3-4. The types of Siltstone are Siltstone whereas types of Slate are Phyllite, Schist, and Slate. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Siltstone is white while that of Slate is light to dark brown. The specific heat capacity of Siltstone is 0.84 kJ/Kg K and that of Slate is 0.76 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Siltstone is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, water resistant whereas Slate is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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