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Soapstone
Soapstone

Diatomite
Diatomite



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Soapstone
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Diatomite

Soapstone vs Diatomite

Definition

Definition

It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc
Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth

History

Origin

USA
Germany

Discoverer

Unknown
Unknown

Etymology

From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap
From diatom + -ite1

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 or Non-Clastic

Color

Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey
Grey, White, Yellow

Maintenance

Less
Less

Durability

Durable
Non-Durable

Water Resistant

Scratch Resistant

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Dull, Banded and Foilated
Soft

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing
Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, for Road Aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
-

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)
Alumina Refineries, Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Drawing on blackboards, Fire resistant, Gymnasts, athletes and mountain climbers use for grip, In aquifers, Soil Conditioner, To ignite fire, Used as a filter medium, Used as an insecticide, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper

Types

Types

Metamorphic rock
Diatomite

Features

Host Rock for Lead
Clasts are smooth to touch, Is one of the oldest rock, Smooth to touch, Very fine grained 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.
Diatomite rock formed from the skeletal remains of single celled plants called diatoms. When diatoms die, their skeletal remains sink to the bottom of lakes and oceans etc. hence forming diatomite deposit.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Compound Content

CaO, Mg, MgO
Ca, NaCl, CaO

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, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

11
1 7
👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained
Very fine-grained

Fracture

Conchoidal
-

Streak

Black
White

Porosity

Less Porous
Highly Porous

Luster

Greasy
Dull

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm2-
0.15 450
👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect
-

Toughness

1
1

Specific Gravity

2.862.3-2.4
0 8.4
👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque
Opaque

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm32.49-2.51 g/cm3
0 1400
👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.90 kJ/Kg K
0.14 3.2
👆🏻

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
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe

Europe

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

Others

-
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA
Canada, USA

South America

Colombia
Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula

Soapstone vs Diatomite 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 Diatomite Reserves. It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc. Diatomite is a fine-grained sedimentary rock which is formed from consolidated diatomaceous earth. 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 Diatomite information and Soapstone vs Diatomite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

Soapstone vs Diatomite 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 Diatomite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Soapstone and Properties of Diatomite. Learn more about Soapstone vs Diatomite in the next section. The interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Diatomite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Soapstone and Diatomite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Soapstone in construction industry include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Diatomite include As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, For road aggregate, Landscaping, Making natural cement, Source of calcium.

More about Soapstone and Diatomite

Here you can know more about Soapstone and Diatomite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Soapstone and Diatomite 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 Diatomite includes Calcite, Clay, Clay Minerals, Quartz, Sand. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Soapstone vs Diatomite, 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, Diatomite is available in grey, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Diatomite is Soft. Properties of rock is another aspect for Soapstone vs Diatomite. Hardness of Soapstone and Diatomite is 1. The types of Soapstone are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Diatomite are Diatomite. 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 Diatomite is white. The specific heat capacity of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Diatomite is 0.90 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 Diatomite is heat resistant.