Soapstone and Schist
Definition
Definition
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation
History
Origin
USA
Unknown
Discoverer
Unknown
Unknown
Etymology
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split
Class
Metamorphic Rocks
Metamorphic Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
Family
Group
Not Applicable
Not Applicable
Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Texture
Polished
Foliated, Platy
Color
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver
Maintenance
Less
Less
Durability
Durable
Durable
Water Resistant
Yes
Yes
Scratch Resistant
No
No
Stain Resistant
No
No
Wind Resistant
No
No
Acid Resistant
No
No
Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated
Layered and Shiny
Uses
Architecture
Interior Uses
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Not Yet Used
Industry
Construction Industry
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Not Yet Used
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)
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates
Types
Types
Not Available
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.
Features
Host Rock for Lead
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch
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
Not Yet Used
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
Not Applicable
Pictographs
Used
Used
Petroglyphs
Used
Used
Figurines
Used
Not Yet 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.
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.
Composition
Mineral Content
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc
Compound Content
CaO, Mg, MgO
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO
Transformation
Metamorphism
Yes
No
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Not Applicable
Weathering
No
Yes
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
No
Yes
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion
Properties
Physical Properties
Hardness
1
3.5-4
Grain Size
Fine Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Streak
Black
White
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Greasy
Shiny
Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2
7
Not Available
Cleavage
Perfect
Slaty
Toughness
1
1.5
Specific Gravity
2.86
2.5-2.9
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K
13
Not Available
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant
Reserves
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Indonesia, Japan, North Korea, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, South Korea, Sri Lanka, Tajikistan, Thailand
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland
Others
Not Yet Found
Not Yet Found
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA
South America
Colombia
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland
All about Soapstone and Schist Properties
Know all about Soapstone and Schist properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Soapstone and Schist belong to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Soapstone is Polished whereas that of Schist is Foliated, Platy. Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Schist appears Layered and Shiny. The luster of Soapstone is greasy while that of Schist is shiny. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas Schist is available in black, blue, brown, dark brown, green, grey, silver 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 Schist are used in aquariums, writing slates.
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