Slate and Trachyte

Slate

Trachyte

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

Trachyte is a grey fine-grained volcanic rock which mainly consists of alkali feldspar

History

Origin

England

Unknown

Discoverer

Unknown

Alexandre Brongniart and René Just Haüy

Etymology

From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)

From Greek trakhus rough’ or trakhutēs roughness

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Not Applicable

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Foliated

Aphanitic to Porphyritic

Color

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

Black, Brown, Dark Greenish - Grey, Green, Grey, Light to Dark Grey, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Yes

Wind Resistant

Yes

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, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

As Dimension Stone

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

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, Creating Artwork

Types

Not Available

Features

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

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Is one of the oldest rock, Matrix variable

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Data Not Available

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Used

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.

Trachyte is an igneous volcanic rock with an aphanitic to porphyritic texture. It is the volcanic equivalent of syenite rock and forms as a result of magmatic differentiation.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Augite, Biotite, Feldspar, Hornblade, Plagioclase, Quartz

Compound Content

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

Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

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

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

3-4

Grain Size

Very fine-grained

Fine Grained

Fracture

Splintery

Not Available

Streak

Light to dark brown

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Dull

Metallic

Compressive Strength

30.00 N/mm²

150.00 N/mm²

Cleavage

Slaty

Not Available

Toughness

1.2

Not Available

Specific Gravity

2.65-2.8

2.7

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.6-2.8 g/cm³

2.43-2.45 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.76 kJ/Kg K

Not Available

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

China, India, Turkey

China, India, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sri Lanka, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

Not Yet Found

Angola, Egypt, Madagascar, Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe

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

Bulgaria, England, Germany, Norway, Romania, Switzerland

Others

Arctic

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

USA

South America

Brazil

Brazil, Chile

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Not Yet Found

New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Slate and Trachyte Properties

Know all about Slate and Trachyte properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Slate belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Trachyte belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Slate is Foliated whereas that of Trachyte is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Slate appears Dull and Trachyte appears Banded. The luster of Slate is dull while that of Trachyte is metallic. Slate is available in black, brown, buff, green, light to dark grey, purple, red, shades of blue colors whereas Trachyte is available in black, brown, dark greenish - grey, green, grey, light to dark 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 Trachyte are cemetery markers, creating artwork.