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 water-soluble mineral sediment resulting from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution
History
Origin
England
USA
Discoverer
Abraham Gottlob Werner
Usiglio
Etymology
From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)
From a sediment left after the evaporation
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, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated
Earthy
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Light to Dark Grey, Purple, Red, Shades of Blue
Green, Grey, Silver, White
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
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
Used in the manufacture of Ceramic Powder, Used in the preparation of Sulfuric Acid and Silicon Diborite
Types
Phyllite, Schist, and Slate
Sedimentary rock
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Generally rough to touch, Splintery, Veined
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.
Evaporite is water-soluble mineral sediment which forms from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution.
Composition
Mineral Content
Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon
Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
CaMg(CO3)2, CaO, Calcium Sulfate, KCl, MgO, NaCl
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Weathering
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
-
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
-
Physical Properties
Hardness
3-42-3
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Splintery
Conchoidal
Streak
Light to dark brown
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull
Subvitreous to Dull
Compressive Strength
30.00 N/mm2225.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Slaty
Perfect
Toughness
1.2
-
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.82.86-2.99
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
2.6-2.8 g/cm32.8-2.9 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
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Turkey
-
Africa
-
-
Europe
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Others
Arctic
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Colombia, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
Central Australia, Western Australia