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Soapstone and Icelandite


Icelandite and Soapstone


Definition

Definition
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc   
Icelandite belongs to volcanic igneous rocks which is rich in iron and belongs to andesite rock   

History
  
  

Origin
USA   
Iceland   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Ian S. E. Carmichael   

Etymology
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap   
From its origin place near Cenozoic volcano near the parsonage Þingmúli in East Iceland   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Volcanic   

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

Texture

Texture
Polished   
Aphanitic to Porphyritic   

Color
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey   
Bluish - Grey, Grey, Pink, Yellow   

Maintenance
Less   
More   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated   
Dull and Soft   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration   
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Homes, Interior Decoration, Kitchens   

Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration   
Office Buildings, Roof Tiles   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories   
Cobblestones, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate   

Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Jewellery, 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)   
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Host Rock for Lead   
Generally rough to touch, High silica content, Is one of the oldest rock   

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   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Not Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Not Used   

Figurines
Used   
Used   

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.   
Icelandite 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, Apatite, Biotite, Feldspar, Garnet, Hornblade, Ilmenite, Magnetite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz, Zircon   

Compound Content
CaO, Mg, MgO   
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, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   

Weathering
No   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Not Applicable   
Biological Weathering   

Erosion
No   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Not Applicable   
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
1   
7   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Very fine-grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Uneven   

Streak
Black   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Greasy   
Vitreous   

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2   
7
Not Available   

Cleavage
Perfect   
Not Available   

Toughness
1   
1.1   

Specific Gravity
2.86   
2.5-2.8   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   
2.11-2.36 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K   
13
2.39 kJ/Kg K   
2

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Scratch 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   
India, Indonesia, Japan, Nepal, South Korea   

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa   
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Namibia, South Africa, Tanzania   

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

Others
Not Yet Found   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Mexico, USA   

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

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Soapstone and Icelandite Properties

Know all about Soapstone and Icelandite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Soapstone belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Icelandite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Soapstone is Polished whereas that of Icelandite is Aphanitic to Porphyritic. Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Icelandite appears Dull and Soft. The luster of Soapstone is greasy while that of Icelandite is vitreous. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas Icelandite is available in bluish - grey, grey, pink, yellow colors. The commercial uses of Soapstone and Icelandite are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, production of lime, source of magnesia (mgo).

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