Soapstone

Pseudotachylite

Soapstone and Pseudotachylite

Soapstone

Pseudotachylite

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Definition

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

Very fine grained fault rock which is composed of glassy matrix that often contains inclusions of wall-rock fragments.

History

Origin

USA

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

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

From pseudo- +‎ tachylite, a glassy rock generated by frictional heat within faults.

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Hard Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Polished

Quench

Color

Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey

Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Pink, White

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Dull, Banded and Foilated

Dull and Soft

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, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Artifacts, Monuments

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

Types

Metamorphic rock

Cataclastic rock

Features

Host Rock for Lead

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.

Due to change in environmental conditions, rocks are heated and pressurized deep inside the Earth's surface. Pseudotachylite is formed from the extreme heat caused by magma or by the intense collisions and friction of tectonic plates.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Iron Oxides, Pyroxene, Quartz, Stishovite, Sulfides

Compound Content

CaO, Mg, MgO

Carbon Dioxide, Silicon Dioxide, Sulfur Dioxide, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1 7

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Grain Size

Fine Grained

Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Uneven

Streak

Black

Light to dark brown

Porosity

Less Porous

Luster

Greasy

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²60.00 N/mm²

0.15 450

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Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.862.46-2.86

0 8.4

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Transparency

Opaque

Transparent to Translucent

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm³2.7-2.9 g/cm³

0 1400

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Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.92 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

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Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

South Korea

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

Western Africa

Europe

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

Great Britain, Switzerland

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

South America

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland

Central Australia, Western Australia

All about Soapstone and Pseudotachylite Properties

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