Soapstone

Pegmatite

Soapstone and Pegmatite

Soapstone

Pegmatite

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Definition

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

Pegmatite rock is a holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is composed of interlocking phaneritic crystals

History

Origin

USA

Discoverer

Unknown

R. J. Hauy

Etymology

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

From Greek pegma, pegmat which means- thing joined together + -ite

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Plutonic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Polished

Pegmatitic

Color

Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey

Black, Brown, Cream, Green, Grey, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull, Banded and Foilated

Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, 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, Jewelry, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz

Types

Metamorphic rock

Granite Pegmatite, Gabbro Pegmatite and Diorite Pegmatite

Features

Host Rock for Lead

Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz

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.

Pegmatite rock is holocrystalline, intrusive igneous rock which is formed by partial melting and dewatering during the process of metamorphism.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Apatite, Beryl, Feldspar, Fluorite, Garnet, Lepidolite, Quartz, Silica, Spodumene, Topaz

Compound Content

CaO, Mg, MgO

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, Magnesium Carbonate, MgO, Phosphorus Pentoxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Medium to Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

Black

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Greasy

Grainy, Pearly and Vitreous

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²178.54 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

2.1

Specific Gravity

2.862.6-2.63

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Translucent to Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm³2.6-2.65 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.79 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, Iran, Japan, Nepal, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, South Korea

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

South Africa

Europe

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

Austria, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Netherlands, Slovakia, Spain, Turkey, Ukraine

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada

South America

Colombia

Brazil

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland

New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia

All about Soapstone and Pegmatite Properties

Know all about Soapstone and Pegmatite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Soapstone belongs to Metamorphic Rocks while Pegmatite belongs to Igneous Rocks.Texture of Soapstone is Polished whereas that of Pegmatite is Pegmatitic. Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Pegmatite appears Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. The luster of Soapstone is greasy while that of Pegmatite is grainy, pearly and vitreous. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas Pegmatite is available in black, brown, cream, green, grey, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow 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 Pegmatite are creating artwork, jewelry, source of corundum, tourmalines, beryls and topaz.