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What is Gritstone?



Definition

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

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
Yes

Scratch Resistant
Yes

Stain Resistant
Yes

Wind Resistant
Yes

Acid Resistant
No

Appearance
Layered and Foliated

Uses

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

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

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
No

Types of Metamorphism
-

Weathering
Yes

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion
Yes

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness
6-7

Grain Size
Coarse Grained

Fracture
Conchoidal

Streak
White

Porosity
Highly Porous

Luster
Dull

Compressive Strength
70.00 N/mm2 35

Cleavage
Perfect

Toughness
-

Specific Gravity
2.250

Transparency
Opaque

Density
2.2 g/cm3

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity
0.92 kJ/Kg K 10

Resistance
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant

Reserves

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

Sedimentary Rocks

Learn more about Properties of Gritstone

What is Gritstone? In this section, we will learn more about properties of Gritstone i.e. physical and thermal properties. Physical properties of Gritstone include Color, Streak, Hardness, Structure, Cleavage, Fracture, Luster, Specific Gravity etc. The strength of Gritstone is 70.00 N/mm2. Streak of Gritstone is white while its cleavage is perfect. Luster of Gritstone is dull and its fracture is conchoidal. Gritstone is opaque in nature. Know all about Gritstone, What is Gritstone, its composition, features, facts and reserves in next sections.

Know about Composition of Gritstone

What is Gritstone composed of? Get to know about composition of Gritstone here. Gritstone definition gives information about the Formation of Gritstone and its composition.The composition of Gritstone can be further divided into mineral and compound content. The mineral content of Gritstone rock includes Calcite, Clay Minerals, Feldspar, Micas, Quartz and The compound content of Gritstone rock includes Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide. Almost all rocks undergo transformation process. Know all about Gritstone rock in next section.

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