Definition
Gritstone or grit is a hard, coarse-grained, siliceous sandstone
History
Origin
Pennines, England
Discoverer
J.J. Ferber
Etymology
From Grit + Stone
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Hard Rock
Family
Group
-
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Earthy
Color
Beige, Black, Brown, Cream, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light to Dark Grey, Pink, Red, White, Yellow
Maintenance
Less
Durability
Durable
Water Resistant
✔
✘
58% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Scratch Resistant
✔
✘
61% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Stain Resistant
✔
✘
42% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Wind Resistant
✔
✘
36% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Acid Resistant
✔
✘
19% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Appearance
Layered and Foliated
Architecture
Interior Uses
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
As Building Stone, Garden Decoration, Office Buildings, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
Curbing
Industry
Construction Industry
Construction Aggregate, Roadstone
Medical Industry
-
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture
Other Uses
Commercial Uses
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Gemstone, Metallurgical Flux, Production of Lime, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones
Types
Sedimentary rock
Features
Available in Lots of Colors and Patterns, Generally rough to touch, Very fine grained rock
Archaeological Significance
Monuments
-
Famous Monuments
-
Sculpture
-
Famous Sculptures
-
Pictographs
-
Petroglyphs
-
Figurines
-
Fossils
Present
Formation
Gritstone is a type of sedimentary rock which was formed on the floors of wide river deltas where the grit deposits were laid down, with every tide or flood dumping another layer of sediment.
Composition
Mineral Content
Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz
Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide
Transformation
Metamorphism
✔
✘
17% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks
Types of Metamorphism
-
Weathering
✔
✘
78% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Erosion
✔
✘
86% - Sedimentary Rocks Rocks have it !
Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion
Physical Properties
Hardness
6-7
1
7
👆🏻
Grain Size
Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Streak
White
Porosity
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull
Compressive Strength
70.00 N/mm2
Rank: 35 (Overall)
0.15
450
👆🏻
Cleavage
Perfect
Toughness
-
Specific Gravity
2.250
0
8.4
👆🏻
Transparency
Opaque
Density
2.2 g/cm3
0
1400
👆🏻
Thermal Properties
Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K
Rank: 10 (Overall)
0.14
3.2
👆🏻
Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
China, India, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Russia, Uzbekistan
Africa
Namibia, Nigeria, South Africa
Europe
Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Netherlands, Poland, Sweden, Switzerland, United Kingdom
Others
Greenland
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, USA
South America
Brazil
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Western Australia