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Sovite and Soapstone


Soapstone and Sovite


Definition

Definition
Sovite is a coarse-grained variety of carbonatite which belongs to intrusive igneous rock   
It is a metamorphic magnesium rich rock because it is composed of the mineral talc   

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown   
USA   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
Not Available   
From 17th century, because of its greasy feel and use like a soap   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Metamorphic Rocks   

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   
Durable Rock, Soft Rock   

Family
  
  

Group
Plutonic   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Granular, Poikiloblastic   
Polished   

Color
Black, Brown, Colourless, Green, Grey, Pink, White   
Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey   

Maintenance
Less   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Scratch Resistant
Yes   
No   

Stain Resistant
No   
No   

Wind Resistant
No   
No   

Acid Resistant
No   
No   

Appearance
Dull, Banded and Foilated   
Dull, Banded and Foilated   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings   
As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration   

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories, Unknown, Unknown   
Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories   

Medical Industry
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium   
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Available in lots of colors, Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock   
Host Rock for Lead   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

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

Sculpture
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

Pictographs
Used   
Used   

Petroglyphs
Used   
Used   

Figurines
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Fossils
Absent   
Absent   

Formation

Formation
Sovites are formed due to low degrees of partial melting of rocks.   
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.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Ancylite, Apatite, Barite, Fluorite, Magnetite, Natrolite, Sodalite   
Albite, Apatite, Biotite, Calcite, Carbonate, Clay Minerals, Hornblende, Ilmenite, Micas, Plagioclase, Pyroxene, Quartz   

Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, Sodium Oxide   
CaO, Mg, MgO   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
Yes   

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

Weathering
Yes   
No   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Not Applicable   

Erosion
Yes   
No   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Not Applicable   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3   
1   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal   

Streak
White   
Black   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Less Porous   

Luster
Subvitreous to Dull   
Greasy   

Compressive Strength
Not Available   
225.00 N/mm2   
7

Cleavage
Not Available   
Perfect   

Toughness
1   
1   

Specific Gravity
2.86-2.87   
2.86   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
2.84-2.86 g/cm3   
2.8-2.9 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
Not Available   
0.88 kJ/Kg K   
13

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

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

Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa   
Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa   

Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   
Austria, England, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom   

Others
Greenland   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
Canada, USA   
Canada, USA   

South America
Brazil   
Colombia   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Sovite and Soapstone Properties

Know all about Sovite and Soapstone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Sovite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Soapstone belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Sovite is Granular, Poikiloblastic whereas that of Soapstone is Polished. Sovite appears Dull, Banded and Foilated and Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Sovite is subvitreous to dull while that of Soapstone is greasy. Sovite is available in black, brown, colourless, green, grey, pink, white colors whereas Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Sovite are an oil and gas reservoir, as a feed additive for livestock, creating artwork, gemstone, metallurgical flux, production of lime, soil conditioner, source of magnesia (mgo) and that of Soapstone are cemetery markers, creating artwork, gemstone, jewelry, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, production of lime, source of magnesia (mgo).

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