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 carbonate rock which is matrix supported and contains over 10% allochems in a carbonate mud matrix.
History
Origin
England
-
Discoverer
Abraham Gottlob Werner
Unknown
Etymology
From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)
From the English mud and stone, from low German mudde and stainaz
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
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Foliated
Clastic
Color
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Light to Dark Grey, Purple, Red, Shades of Blue
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Grey, Orange, Red, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
✔
✘
Appearance
Dull
Rough and Dull
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 Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Roof Tiles
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone
Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar
Medical Industry
-
-
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, Pottery
Types
Phyllite, Schist, and Slate
Marl, Shale and Argillite
Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Smooth to touch, 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.
Wackestone is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. These particles settle down and are then compacted due to high temperature and pressure hence forming Wackestone.
Composition
Mineral Content
Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon 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, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
✔
✘
Types of Erosion
Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
3-42-3
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Very fine-grained
Very fine-grained
Fracture
Splintery
Conchoidal
Streak
Light to dark brown
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull
Dull
Compressive Strength
30.00 N/mm2225.00 N/mm2
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Slaty
Perfect
Toughness
1.2
2.6
Specific Gravity
2.65-2.82.2-2.8
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.6-2.8 g/cm32.4-2.8 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.76 kJ/Kg K0.39 kJ/Kg K
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Turkey
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia
Africa
-
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland
Others
Arctic
-
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
USA
USA
South America
Brazil
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
-
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Western Australia