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Slate and Phyllite


Phyllite and Slate


Definition

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   
Phyllite is a fine-grained metamorphic rock with a well-developed laminar structure, and is intermediate between slate and schist rocks   

History
  
  

Origin
England   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)   
From Greek phullon leaf + -ite1   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Foliated   
Phyllitic Sheen, Slaty   

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

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
Yes   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Dull   
Crinkled or Wavy   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone   
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   
Artifacts, 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   
Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork, Writing Slates   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock   
Easily splits into thin plates, Is one of the oldest rock, Surfaces are often shiny   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

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.   
Phyllite is a metamorphic rock which is formed by regional metamorphism of argillaceous sediments since their cleavage arose due to deviatoric stress.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon   
Albite, Alusite, Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc, Zircon   

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

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-4   
1-2   

Grain Size
Very fine-grained   
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Splintery   
Conchoidal   

Streak
Light to dark brown   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Dull   
Phyllitic   

Compressive Strength
30.00 N/mm2   
30
Not Available   

Cleavage
Slaty   
Crenulation and Pervasive   

Toughness
1.2   
1.2   

Specific Gravity
2.65-2.8   
2.72-2.73   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.6-2.8 g/cm3   
2.18-3.3 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.76 kJ/Kg K   
17
Not Available   

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Turkey   
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam   

Africa
Not Yet Found   
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa   

Europe
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom   
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland   

Others
Arctic   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Not Yet Found   
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland   

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Slate and Phyllite Properties

Know all about Slate and Phyllite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Slate and Phyllite belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Slate is Foliated whereas that of Phyllite is Phyllitic Sheen, Slaty. Slate appears Dull and Phyllite appears Crinkled or Wavy. The luster of Slate is dull while that of Phyllite is phyllitic. Slate is available in black, brown, buff, green, light to dark grey, purple, red, shades of blue colors whereas Phyllite is available in black to grey, light greenish grey 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 Phyllite are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, creating artwork, writing slates.

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