Definition
Taconite is a low-grade iron ore which belongs to sedimentary rock and containing about 27% iron and 51% silica
  
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds
  
History
  
  
Origin
Western Australia, Minnesota
  
USA
  
Discoverer
Newton Horace Winchell
  
John Peter Salley
  
Etymology
From the name of Taconic Mountains in New England
  
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century
  
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sedimentary Rocks
  
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock
  
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
  
Texture
Banded, Trellis
  
Amorphous, Glassy
  
Color
Red, Reddish Brown
  
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Scratch Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
Yes
  
No
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Layered, Banded, Veined and Shiny
  
Veined or Pebbled
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Not Yet Used
  
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Not Yet Used
  
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
  
Not Yet Used
  
Industry
  
  
Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Used for flooring, stair treads, borders and window sills.
  
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
  
Medical Industry
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork
  
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
  
Types
Not Available
  
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite
  
Features
Is one of the oldest rock
  
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Data Not Available
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Not Used
  
Figurines
Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Present
  
Present
  
Formation
Taconite is a type of sedimentary rock formed when a river carries or transports pieces of broken rock as it flows. When the river reaches a lake or sea, its load of transported rocks settles or deposits at the bottom of sea or lake.
  
Coal forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment which is buried by sediments such as mud or sand and then compacted to form coal.
  
Composition
  
  
Mineral Content
Hematite, Magnetite, Quartz
  
Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon
  
Compound Content
Fe, Iron(III) Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
  
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
No
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
  
Not Applicable
  
Erosion
Yes
  
No
  
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
  
Not Applicable
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
5.5-6
  
1-1.5
  
Grain Size
Large and Coarse Grained
  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
White
  
Black
  
Porosity
Highly Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Earthy
  
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
  
Cleavage
Imperfect
  
Non-Existent
  
Toughness
1.5
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
5-5.3
  
1.1-1.4
  
Transparency
Translucent to Opaque
  
Opaque
  
Density
Not Available
  
1100-1400 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
3.20 kJ/Kg K
  
1
1.32 kJ/Kg K
  
4
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant
  
Heat Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
China, India, Iran, Iraq, Oman, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Taiwan, Thailand, Vietnam
  
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
  
Africa
Kenya, Morocco, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Europe
Austria, France, Greece, Italy, Malta, Poland, Portugal, Serbia, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom
  
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
  
Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge
  
Not Yet Found
  
Deposits in Western Continents
  
  
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
  
Canada, Mexico, USA
  
South America
Bolivia, Brazil
  
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
  
Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia
  
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria