Soapstone

Harzburgite

Soapstone and Harzburgite

Soapstone

Harzburgite

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Definition

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

Harzburgite is a plutonic rock of the peridotite group consisting largely of orthopyroxene and olivine

History

Origin

USA

Germany

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

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

From the name of a town in Harzburg, Germany

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Polished

Phaneritic

Color

Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey

Dark Greenish - Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull, Banded and Foilated

Rough and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

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

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

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)

Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds

Types

Metamorphic rock

Ultramafic rock

Features

Host Rock for Lead

Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, 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

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.

Harzburgite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene

Compound Content

CaO, Mg, MgO

Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

Impact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

15.5-6

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Irregular

Streak

Black

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Greasy

Shiny

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²150.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.863-3.01

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm³3.1-3.4 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K1.25 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat 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

Japan, Oman

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

South Africa

Europe

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

France, Germany, Italy

Others

Hawaii Islands, Mid-Atlantic Ridge

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland

All about Soapstone and Harzburgite Properties

Know all about Soapstone and Harzburgite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Soapstone belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Harzburgite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Soapstone is Polished whereas that of Harzburgite is Phaneritic. Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Harzburgite appears Rough and Shiny. The luster of Soapstone is greasy while that of Harzburgite is shiny. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas Harzburgite is available in dark greenish - 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 Harzburgite are creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, source of chromite, platinum, nickel and garnet, source of diamonds.