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Soapstone and Anthracite


Anthracite and Soapstone


Definition

Definition
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc  
Anthracite is a type of sedimentary rock which is hard and is variety of coal that has high luster  

History
  
  

Origin
USA  
Pennsylvania, U.S.  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap  
From Greek anthrakites, from anthrax, anthrak meaning coal  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft 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

Texture
Polished  
Amorphous, Glassy  

Color
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey  
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
No  

Scratch Resistant
No  
No  

Stain Resistant
No  
No  

Wind Resistant
No  
No  

Acid Resistant
No  
No  

Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated  
Veined or Pebbled  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration  
-  

Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration  
-  

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
-  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories  
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production  

Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium  
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Manufacture of Aspirins  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture  
-  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)  
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry  

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock  
Semi-anthracite and Meta-anthracite  

Features
Host Rock for Lead  
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
-  
-  

Famous Monuments
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire  
-  

Sculpture
-  
-  

Famous Sculptures
-  
-  

Pictographs
-  
-  

Petroglyphs
-  
-  

Figurines
-  
-  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Soapstone is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock and it is largely composed of the mineral talc and is thus rich inmagnesium.   
Anthracite forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. When plant debris dies and falls into the swamp, the standing water of the swamp protects it from decay.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz  
Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals  

Compound Content
CaO, Mg, MgO  
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
No  
No  

Types of Weathering
-  
-  

Erosion
No  
No  

Types of Erosion
-  
-  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
1  
1-1.5  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
Black  
Black  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Greasy  
Shiny  

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2  
8
-  

Cleavage
Perfect  
-  

Toughness
1  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.86  
1.1-1.4  

Transparency
Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  
1.25-2.5 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K  
13
1.32 kJ/Kg K  
4

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Water Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand  
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam  

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa  
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania  

Europe
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom  
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
Canada, Mexico, USA  

South America
Colombia  
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland  
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Soapstone and Anthracite Properties

Know all about Soapstone and Anthracite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Soapstone and Anthracite belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Soapstone is Polished whereas that of Anthracite is Amorphous, Glassy. Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Anthracite appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Soapstone is greasy while that of Anthracite is shiny. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas Anthracite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. The commercial uses of Soapstone are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, production of lime, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Anthracite are alumina refineries, electricity generation, liquid fuel, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, paper industry.

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