Soapstone

Felsite

Soapstone vs Felsite

Soapstone

Felsite

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Definition

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

Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition

History

Origin

USA

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

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

From English feldspar and -ite

Class

Metamorphic Rocks

Igneous Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Polished

Arborescent Patterned, Vitreous

Color

Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey

Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Orange, Red, Tan, 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

Paving Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Arrowheads, Cutting Tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear Points

Medical Industry

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Surgery

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)

Mirror, Jewelry

Types

Metamorphic rock

Igneous rock

Features

Host Rock for Lead

Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, Splintery, 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

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.

Felsite is a fine-grained, hard rock which is a type of metasomatite, essentially altered basalt. It forms with or without crystallization, either below the surface as intrusive rocks or on the surface as extrusive rocks.

Composition

Mineral Content

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

Feldspar, Iron Oxides

Compound Content

CaO, Mg, MgO

Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, Potassium Oxide, MgO, MnO, Sodium Oxide, Phosphorus Pentoxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

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

Burial Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

15-5.5

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

Black

White

Porosity

Less Porous

Very Less Porous

Luster

Greasy

Vitreous

Compressive Strength

225.00 N/mm²0.15 N/mm²

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Perfect

Toughness

Specific Gravity

2.862.6-2.7

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Translucent

Density

2.8-2.9 g/cm³2.6 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.88 kJ/Kg K0.92 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

Afghanistan, Indonesia, Japan, Russia

Africa

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

Kenya

Europe

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

Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Turkey

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, USA

Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Colombia

Argentina, Chile, Ecuador, Peru

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland

New Zealand

Soapstone vs Felsite 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 Felsite Reserves. It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc. Felsite is a very fine grained volcanic rock that may or may not contain larger crystals and light colored rock that typically requires petrographic examination or chemical analysis for more precise definition. 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 Felsite information and Soapstone vs Felsite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Soapstone vs Felsite 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 Felsite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Soapstone and Properties of Felsite. Learn more about Soapstone vs Felsite in the next section. The interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Felsite include Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Soapstone and Felsite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Soapstone in construction industry include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Felsite include Arrowheads, Cutting tool, Knives, Scrapers, Spear points.

More about Soapstone and Felsite

Here you can know more about Soapstone and Felsite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Soapstone and Felsite 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 Felsite includes Feldspar, Iron Oxides. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Soapstone vs Felsite, 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, Felsite is available in black, blue, brown, green, orange, red, tan, yellow colors. Appearance of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Felsite is Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Soapstone vs Felsite. The hardness of Soapstone is 1 and that of Felsite is 5-5.5. The types of Soapstone are Metamorphic rock whereas types of Felsite are Igneous 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 Felsite is white. The specific heat capacity of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Felsite is 0.92 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 Felsite is heat resistant, impact resistant.