Slate

Serpentinite

Slate and Serpentinite

Slate

Serpentinite

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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

A hydration and metamorphic transformation of ultramafic rock from the Earth's mantle is called as serpentinization, a group of minerals is formed by serpentinization compose rock 'serpentinite'.

History

Origin

England

USA

Discoverer

Abraham Gottlob Werner

Unknown

Etymology

From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)

From English word serpentinization.

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Foliated

Earthy

Color

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

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull

Rough and Dull

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, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Jewellery, 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

Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork

Types

Phyllite, Schist, and Slate

Jadeitite

Features

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

Host Rock for Lead

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

Absent

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.

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Serpentinite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Carbonate, Magnetite, Pyrrhotite, Serpentine, Sulfides

Compound Content

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

Ca, CaO, Carbon Dioxide, KCl, MgO, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-43-5

1 7

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Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Splintery

Uneven

Streak

Light to dark brown

White, Greenish White or Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

30.00 N/mm²310.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Slaty

Toughness

1.2

Specific Gravity

2.65-2.82.79-3

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.6-2.8 g/cm³2.5-3 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.76 kJ/Kg K0.95 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Turkey

India, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea

Africa

Ethiopia, Western Africa

Europe

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

England, Georgia, Switzerland, United Kingdom

Others

Arctic

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

Canada

South America

Brazil

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia

All about Slate and Serpentinite Properties

Know all about Slate and Serpentinite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Slate and Serpentinite belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Slate is Foliated whereas that of Serpentinite is Earthy. Slate appears Dull and Serpentinite appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Slate is dull while that of Serpentinite is waxy and dull. Slate is available in black, brown, buff, green, light to dark grey, purple, red, shades of blue colors whereas Serpentinite is available in black, brown, green, grey, white 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 Serpentinite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork.