Soapstone

Gossan

Soapstone and Gossan

Soapstone

Gossan

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Definition

It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc

Gossan is intensely oxidized, weathered or decomposed rock, usually the upper and exposed part of an ore deposit or mineral vein.

History

Origin

USA

Indonesia

Discoverer

Unknown

Cornish Gossen

Etymology

From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap

From Cornish gossen from gos, blood from Old Cornish guit

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Polished

Rough, Sandy

Color

Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey

Brown, Brown- Black, Gold, Green, Rust

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull, Banded and Foilated

Dull and Banded

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate

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)

Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, Gemstone

Types

Metamorphic rock

Translocated gossan and Leakage gossan

Features

Host Rock for Lead

Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates

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

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.

Earth movements can cause rocks to be either deeply buried or squeezed and hence the rocks are heated and put under great pressure.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Apatite, Augite, Biotite, Bronzite, Calcite, Chert, Epidote, Feldspar, Hornblende, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Sulfides, Zircon

Compound Content

CaO, Mg, MgO

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Fe, FeO, Silicon Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

14-5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fine to Medium Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

Black

White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Greasy

Metallic

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²-

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.862.0

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm³-9999 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.24 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

China, India, Indonesia, Russia, Singapore, South Korea

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

Cape Verde, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

Europe

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

Albania, France, Germany, Great Britain, United Kingdom

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Colombia

Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland

New South Wales, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Soapstone and Gossan Properties

Know all about Soapstone and Gossan properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Soapstone and Gossan belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Soapstone is Polished whereas that of Gossan is Rough, Sandy. Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Gossan appears Dull and Banded. The luster of Soapstone is greasy while that of Gossan is metallic. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas Gossan is available in brown, brown- black, gold, green, rust 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 Gossan are cemetery markers, commemorative tablets, gemstone.