Home
Compare Rocks


Soapstone and Dacite


Dacite and Soapstone


Definition

Definition
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc  
Dacite is a volcanic igneous rock which is rintermediate in composition between andesite and rhyolite  

History
  
  

Origin
USA  
Romania and Moldova, Europe  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap  
From Dacia, a province of the Roman Empire which lay between the Danube River and Carpathian Mountains where the rock was first described  

Class
Metamorphic Rocks  
Igneous Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
-  
Volcanic  

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  
Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock  

Texture

Texture
Polished  
Aphanitic to Porphyritic  

Color
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey  
Bluish - Grey, 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  
Vesicular  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories  
As Dimension Stone, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping  

Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium  
-  

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)  
Commemorative Tablets, Creating Artwork  

Types

Types
Metamorphic rock  
Footwall Dacite, Hanging wall Dacite, Tuff and Biotite Dacite  

Features
Host Rock for Lead  
Host Rock for Lead, Is one of the oldest rock  

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.   
Dacitic magma is formed by the subduction of young oceanic crust under a thick felsic continental plate. Further, the Oceanic crust is hydrothermally altered as quartz and sodium are added.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz  
Amphibole, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon  

Compound Content
CaO, Mg, MgO  
Ca, Fe, Potassium Oxide, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

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

Weathering
No  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
-  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
No  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
-  
Chemical Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
1  
2-2.25  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained  

Fracture
Conchoidal  
Conchoidal  

Streak
Black  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Greasy  
Subvitreous to Dull  

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2  
8
70.00 N/mm2  
35

Cleavage
Perfect  
Perfect  

Toughness
1  
-  

Specific Gravity
2.86  
2.86-2.87  

Transparency
Opaque  
Translucent  

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3  
2.77-2.771 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K  
13
0.92 kJ/Kg K  
10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand  
-  

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa  
-  

Europe
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom  
France, Greece, Romania, Scotland, Spain  

Others
-  
-  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA  
USA  

South America
Colombia  
Argentina, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland  
New Zealand, South Australia, Western Australia  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Soapstone and Dacite Properties

Know all about Soapstone and Dacite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Soapstone belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Dacite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Soapstone is Polished whereas that of Dacite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Dacite appears Vesicular. The luster of Soapstone is greasy while that of Dacite is subvitreous to dull. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas Dacite is available in bluish - grey, 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 Dacite are commemorative tablets, creating artwork.

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

» More Metamorphic Rocks

Compare Metamorphic Rocks

» More Compare Metamorphic Rocks