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Tachylite and Argillite


Argillite and Tachylite


Definition

Definition
Tachylite is a vitreous form of basaltic volcanic glass. This glass is formed naturally by the rapid cooling of molten basalt   
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
Iceland   
Unknown   

Discoverer
Unknown   
Unknown   

Etymology
From German Tachylite, from tachy- + Greek lutos soluble, melting   
From Latin Argilla (clay) and -ite in English which became agrilla+ -ite = Argillite   

Class
Igneous Rocks   
Sedimentary Rocks   

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

Family
  
  

Group
Volcanic   
Not Applicable   

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

Texture

Texture
Vitreous   
Clastic, Polished   

Color
Black, Dark Brown   
Dark Grey to Black, Pink, Red, White   

Maintenance
More   
Less   

Durability
Durable   
Durable   

Water Resistant
Yes   
No   

Scratch Resistant
No   
Yes   

Stain Resistant
No   
Yes   

Wind Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Acid Resistant
Yes   
Yes   

Appearance
Glassy   
Rough and Dull   

Uses

Architecture
  
  

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

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing   
Curbing, Whetstones   

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cutting Tool, Knives, Landscaping, Scrapers   
Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.   

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used   
Not Yet Used   

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts   
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture   

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork   
Fire resistant, Used to manufracture paperweights and bookends   

Types

Types
Not Available   
Not Available   

Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Clasts are smooth to touch, NA   
Is one of the oldest rock   

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Not Yet Used   
Used   

Famous Monuments
Not Applicable   
Data Not Available   

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   
Present   

Formation

Formation
Tachylite 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.   
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
Feldspar, Olivine   
Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Plagioclase, Pyrite, Quartz   

Compound Content
Fe, Mg   
Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Silicon Dioxide   

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes   
No   

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism   
Not Applicable   

Weathering
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering   
Biological Weathering   

Erosion
Yes   
Yes   

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion   
Chemical Erosion   

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
5.5   
2-3   

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained   
Fine Grained   

Fracture
Conchoidal   
Conchoidal to Uneven   

Streak
Vermilion   
White to Grey   

Porosity
Less Porous   
Highly Porous   

Luster
Resinous   
Waxy and Dull   

Compressive Strength
206.00 N/mm2   
8
Not Available   

Cleavage
Not Available   
Slaty   

Toughness
Not Available   
2.6   

Specific Gravity
2.4   
2.56-2.68   

Transparency
Opaque   
Opaque   

Density
3.058 g/cm3   
2.54-2.66 g/cm3   

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.56 kJ/Kg K   
22
0.87 kJ/Kg K   
14

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Wear Resistant   
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant   

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Cambodia, Russia, South Korea   
Bangladesh, China, India, Russia   

Africa
East Africa   
Ethiopia, Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania   

Europe
England, Germany, Hungary, Iceland, Scotland, Sweden   
Austria, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Romania, Scotland, Spain, Switzerland   

Others
Hawaii Islands   
Not Yet Found   

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA   
USA   

South America
Not Yet Found   
Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Venezuela   

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Tachylite and Argillite Properties

Know all about Tachylite and Argillite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Tachylite belongs to Igneous Rocks while Argillite belongs to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Tachylite is Vitreous whereas that of Argillite is Clastic, Polished. Tachylite appears Glassy and Argillite appears Rough and Dull. The luster of Tachylite is resinous while that of Argillite is waxy and dull. Tachylite is available in black, dark brown colors whereas Argillite is available in dark grey to black, pink, red, white colors. The commercial uses of Tachylite are cemetery markers, creating artwork and that of Argillite are fire resistant, used to manufracture paperweights and bookends.

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