Slate

Laterite

Slate and Laterite

Slate

Laterite

Add ⊕

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

Laterite rock is a type of Sedimentary rock which is rich in iron and aluminium, formed in hot and wet tropical areas

History

Origin

England

India

Discoverer

Abraham Gottlob Werner

Francis Buchanan-Hamilton

Etymology

From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)

From Latin later brick, tile + -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

Texture

Foliated

Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic

Color

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

Brown, Buff, Red

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull

Rough and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

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

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Roadstone

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

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

An Oil and Gas Reservoir, Source of bauxite, Used in aquariums

Types

Phyllite, Schist, and Slate

Laterite

Features

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

Is one of the oldest rock, Very fine grained 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.

Laterite is a type of sedimentary rock which is generally a reddish weathering product of basalt.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Aluminum Oxides, Biotite, Hematite, Hornblade, Iron Oxides, Manganese Oxides, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

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

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, 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, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-42

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Splintery

Conchoidal

Streak

Light to dark brown

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull

Compressive Strength

30.00 N/mm²5.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

1.2

Specific Gravity

2.65-2.8-9999

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.6-2.8 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.76 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Turkey

India

Africa

East Africa, Western Africa

Europe

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

England, Romania, Scotland

Others

Arctic

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada, USA

South America

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Slate and Laterite Properties

Know all about Slate and Laterite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Slate belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Laterite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Slate is Foliated whereas that of Laterite is Earthy, Massive, Porphyritic. Slate appears Dull and Laterite appears Rough and Banded. The luster of Slate and Laterite is dull. Slate and Laterite 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 Laterite are an oil and gas reservoir, source of bauxite, used in aquariums.