Tuff and Soapstone

Tuff

Soapstone

Soapstone and Tuff

Definition

Tuff is a type of rock made of volcanic ash ejected from a vent during a volcanic eruption

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

History

Origin

Italy

USA

Discoverer

Unknown

Etymology

From a Latin word tophous then in Italian tufo and finally tuff

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

Class

Igneous Rocks

Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Volcanic

Not Applicable

Other Categories

Fine Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Clastic, Pyroclastic

Polished

Color

Brown, Grey, Yellow

Black, Black to Grey, Green, Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

Yes

Scratch Resistant

Yes

Stain Resistant

Wind Resistant

Acid Resistant

Appearance

Dull, Vesicular and Foilated

Dull, Banded and Foilated

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration

Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses

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

As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration

Other Architectural Uses

Curbing

Industry

Construction Industry

Building houses or walls, Construction Aggregate

Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories

Medical Industry

Not Yet Used

Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines

Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture

Other Uses

Commercial Uses

Creating Artwork

Cemetery Markers, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, Jewelry, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Production of Lime, Source of Magnesia (MgO)

Types

Welded tuff, Rhyolitic tuff, Basaltic tuff, Trachyte tuff, Andesitic tuff and Ignimbrite.

Not Available

Features

Always found as volcanic pipes over deep continental crust

Host Rock for Lead

Archaeological Significance

Monuments

Used

Famous Monuments

Easter Island in the Polynesian Triangle, Pacific Ocean

Christ the Redeemer in Rio de Janeiro, Stonehenge in English county of Wiltshire

Sculpture

Used

Famous Sculptures

Data Not Available

Pictographs

Used

Petroglyphs

Used

Figurines

Used

Fossils

Absent

Formation

Tuff is formed when large masses of ash and sand which are mixed with hot gases are ejected by a volcano and avalanche rapidly down its slopes.

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

Calcite, Chlorite

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

Compound Content

Hydrogen Sulfide, Sulfur Dioxide

CaO, Mg, MgO

Transformation

Metamorphism

Yes

Types of Metamorphism

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

Weathering

Yes

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Not Applicable

Erosion

Yes

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Glacier Erosion, Sea Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Not Applicable

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

4-6

Grain Size

Fine Grained

Fracture

Uneven

Conchoidal

Streak

White

Black

Porosity

Highly Porous

Less Porous

Luster

Vitreous to Dull

Greasy

Compressive Strength

243.80 N/mm²

225.00 N/mm²

Cleavage

Not Available

Perfect

Toughness

Not Available

Specific Gravity

2.73

2.86

Transparency

Opaque

Density

1-1.8 g/cm³

2.8-2.9 g/cm³

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

0.20 kJ/Kg K

0.88 kJ/Kg K

Resistance

Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant

Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Afghanistan, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Iran, Japan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Nepal, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam, Yemen

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

Africa

Cameroon, Cape Verde, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Libya, Madagascar, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa, Sudan, Uganda

Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, South Africa, Western Africa

Europe

France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom

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

Others

Antarctica, Hawaii Islands

Not Yet Found

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Costa Rica, Panama, USA

Canada, USA

South America

Argentina, Bolivia, Brazil, Chile, Ecuador, Paraguay

Colombia

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

Central Australia, Western Australia

Central Australia, New Zealand, Queensland

Summary >>

<< Reserves

All about Tuff and Soapstone Properties

Know all about Tuff and Soapstone properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Tuff belongs to Igneous Rocks while Soapstone belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Tuff is Clastic, Pyroclastic whereas that of Soapstone is Polished. Tuff appears Dull, Vesicular and Foilated and Soapstone appears Dull, Banded and Foilated. The luster of Tuff is vitreous to dull while that of Soapstone is greasy. Tuff is available in brown, grey, yellow colors whereas Soapstone is available in black, black to grey, green, grey colors. The commercial uses of Tuff are creating artwork 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).