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Soapstone vs Harzburgite


Harzburgite vs Soapstone


Definition

Definition
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc   
Harzburgite is a plutonic rock of the peridotite group consisting largely of orthopyroxene and olivine   

History
  
  

Origin
USA   
Germany   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap   
From the name of a town in Harzburg, Germany   

Class
Metamorphic Rocks   
Igneous Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable   
Plutonic   

Other Categories
Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock   

Texture

Texture
Polished   
Phaneritic   

Color
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey   
Dark Greenish - Grey   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
No   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated   
Rough and Shiny   

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, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories   
As Dimension Stone, Cobblestones   

Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines   

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, Jewelry, Source of Chromite, Platinum, Nickel and Garnet, Source of Diamonds   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Host Rock for Lead   
Constitutes upper part of the Earth's mantle, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire   
Data Not Available   

Sculpture
Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Used   
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.   
Harzburgite 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   
Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene   

Compound Content
CaO, Mg, MgO   
Ca, Fe, Mg, Potassium, Silicon Dioxide, Sodium, Titanium Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
No   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Not Applicable   
Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   

Erosion
No   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Not Applicable   
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
1   
5.5-6   

Grain Size
Fine Grained   
Coarse Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Irregular   

Streak
Black   
White   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Greasy   
Shiny   

Compressive Strength
225.00 N/mm2   
7
Not Available   

Cleavage
Perfect   
Imperfect   

Toughness
1   
2.1   

Specific Gravity
2.86   
3-3.01   

Transparency
Opaque   
Translucent to Opaque   

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   
3.1-3.4 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.88 kJ/Kg K   
13
1.25 kJ/Kg K   
6

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

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

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa   
South Africa   

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

Others
Not Yet Found   
Hawaii Islands, Mid-Atlantic Ridge   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Colombia   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland   
Not Yet Found   

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Soapstone vs Harzburgite 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 Harzburgite Reserves. It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc. Harzburgite is a plutonic rock of the peridotite group consisting largely of orthopyroxene and olivine. 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 Harzburgite information and Soapstone vs Harzburgite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Soapstone vs Harzburgite 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 Harzburgite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Soapstone and Properties of Harzburgite. Learn more about Soapstone vs Harzburgite in the next section. The interior uses of Soapstone include Bathrooms, Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Harzburgite include Decorative aggregates, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Soapstone and Harzburgite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Soapstone in construction industry include Manufacture of magnesium and dolomite refractories and that of Harzburgite include As dimension stone, Cobblestones.

More about Soapstone and Harzburgite

Here you can know more about Soapstone and Harzburgite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Soapstone and Harzburgite 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 Harzburgite includes Amphibole, Chromite, Garnet, Magnesium, Olivine, Phlogopite, Plagioclase, Pyroxene. You can also check out the list of all Metamorphic Rocks. When we have to compare Soapstone vs Harzburgite, 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, Harzburgite is available in dark greenish - grey colors. Appearance of Soapstone is Dull, Banded and Foilated and that of Harzburgite is Rough and Shiny. Properties of rock is another aspect for Soapstone vs Harzburgite. The hardness of Soapstone is 1 and that of Harzburgite is 5.5-6. The types of Soapstone are Not Available whereas types of Harzburgite are Not Available. 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 Harzburgite is white. The specific heat capacity of Soapstone is 0.88 kJ/Kg K and that of Harzburgite is 1.25 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 Harzburgite is heat resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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