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Soapstone
Soapstone

Argillite
Argillite



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Soapstone
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Argillite

Soapstone vs Argillite

Definition

Definition

It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc
Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate

History

Origin

USA
-

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite

Class

Metamorphic Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

-
-

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Texture

Polished
Clastic, Polished

Color

Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Dull, Banded and Foilated
Rough and Dull

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, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing, Whetstones

Industry

Construction Industry

Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
-

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture

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)
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends

Types

Types

Metamorphic rock
Metamorphic rock

Features

Host Rock for Lead
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
Present

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.
An argillite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock mainly composed of clay particles which forms from lithified muds which contain variable amounts of silt-sized particles.

Composition

Mineral Content

Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz

Compound Content

CaO, Mg, MgO
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

Types of Metamorphism

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

Weathering

Types of Weathering

-
Biological Weathering

Erosion

Types of Erosion

-
Chemical Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

12-3
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
Conchoidal to Uneven

Streak

Black
White to Grey

Porosity

Less Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Greasy
Waxy and Dull

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm2-
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect
Slaty

Toughness

1
2.6

Specific Gravity

2.862.56-2.68
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm32.54-2.66 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.87 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

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

Africa

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

Europe

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

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
USA

South America

Colombia
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

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

Soapstone vs Argillite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Soapstone and Argillite Reserves. It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc. Argillites are highly compact sedimentary or slightly metamorphosed rocks that consist largely or wholly of particles of clay or silt but lack the fissility of shale or the cleavage characteristic of slate. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Soapstone vs Argillite information and Soapstone vs Argillite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Soapstone vs Argillite Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Soapstone vs Argillite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Soapstone and Properties of Argillite. Learn more about Soapstone vs Argillite in the next section. The interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Argillite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Soapstone and Argillite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Soapstone in construction industry include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Argillite include Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills..

More about Soapstone and Argillite

Here you can know more about Soapstone and Argillite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Soapstone and Argillite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Soapstone includes Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz and mineral content of Argillite includes Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Soapstone vs Argillite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors whereas, Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. Appearance of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Argillite is Rough and Dull. Properties of rock is another aspect for Soapstone vs Argillite. The hardness of Soapstone is 1 and that of Argillite is 2-3. The types of Soapstone are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Argillite are Metamorphic rock. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Soapstone is black while that of Argillite is white to grey. The specific heat capacity of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Argillite is 0.87 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Soapstone is heat resistant, pressure resistant whereas Argillite is heat resistant, impact resistant.