Slate

Diamictite

Slate and Diamictite

Slate

Diamictite

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Definition

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

Diamictite is a sedimentary rock that consists of non-sorted to poorly sorted terrigenous sediment containing particles that range in size from clay to boulders, suspended in a matrix of mudstone or sandstone

History

Origin

England

Southern Mongolia

Discoverer

Abraham Gottlob Werner

Unknown

Etymology

From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)

From Greek dia through and meiktós or mixed

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

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Foliated

Clastic

Color

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

Brown, Buff

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull

Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

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

Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

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

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Production of Lime

Types

Phyllite, Schist, and Slate

Bedded Diamictite and Laminated Diamictite

Features

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

Host Rock for Lead, Is one of the oldest rock

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

Present

Formation

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

Diamictite is unevenly sorted terrigenous, non-calcareous sedimentary rock which forms due to weathering of mudstone and sandstone.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Calcite, Clay, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz

Compound Content

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

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-42-3

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Splintery

Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

Light to dark brown

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull

Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous

Compressive Strength

30.00 N/mm²-

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

1.2

Specific Gravity

2.65-2.84.3-5.0

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.6-2.8 g/cm³2.2-2.35 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.76 kJ/Kg K0.75 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Turkey

China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia

Africa

Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

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

Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

Arctic

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Brazil, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, New Zealand

All about Slate and Diamictite Properties

Know all about Slate and Diamictite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Slate belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Diamictite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Slate is Foliated whereas that of Diamictite is Clastic. Slate appears Dull and Diamictite appears Banded. The luster of Slate is dull while that of Diamictite is grainy, pearly and vitreous. Slate and Diamictite are available in black, brown, buff, green, light to dark grey, purple, red, shades of blue colors. The commercial uses 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 and that of Diamictite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork, production of lime.