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Soapstone and Coal


Coal and Soapstone


Definition

Definition
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc   
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds   

History
  
  

Origin
USA   
USA   

Discoverer
Unknown   
John Peter Salley   

Etymology
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap   
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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   
Not Yet Used   

Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration   
Not Yet Used   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Not Yet Used   

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   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts   

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
Not Available   
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite   

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

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Monuments
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire   
Not Applicable   

Sculpture
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Not Applicable   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Not Yet Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Present   

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.   
Coal forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment which is buried by sediments such as mud or sand and then compacted to form coal.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   
Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon   

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, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
No   
No   

Types of Weathering
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

Erosion
No   
No   

Types of Erosion
Not Applicable   
Not Applicable   

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   
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic   

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2   
7
Not Available   

Cleavage
Perfect   
Non-Existent   

Toughness
1   
Not Available   

Specific Gravity
2.86   
1.1-1.4   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   
1100-1400 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   

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
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

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 Coal Properties

Know all about Soapstone and Coal properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Soapstone belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Coal belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Soapstone is Polished whereas that of Coal is Amorphous, Glassy. Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Coal appears Veined or Pebbled. The luster of Soapstone is greasy while that of Coal is dull to vitreous to submetallic. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas Coal 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 Coal are alumina refineries, electricity generation, liquid fuel, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, paper industry.

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