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What is Schist?



Definition

Definition
Schist is a medium grade metamorphic rock with medium to large, flat, sheet like grains in a preferred orientation

History

Origin
-

Discoverer
Unknown

Etymology
From French schiste, Greek skhistos i.e. split

Class
Metamorphic Rocks

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock

Family

Group
-

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

Texture

Texture
Foliated, Platy

Color
Black, Blue, Brown, Dark Brown, Green, Grey, Silver

Maintenance
Less

Durability
Durable

Water Resistant
Yes

Scratch Resistant
No

Stain Resistant
No

Wind Resistant
No

Acid Resistant
No

Appearance
Layered and Shiny

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Floor Tiles, Interior Decoration

Exterior Uses
Garden Decoration, Paving Stone

Other Architectural Uses
-

Industry

Construction Industry
As Dimension Stone, Building houses or walls, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Roadstone

Medical Industry
-

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts

Other Uses

Commercial Uses
Used in aquariums, Writing Slates

Types

Types
Mica Schists, Calc-Silicate Schists, Graphite Schists, Blueschists, Whiteschists, Greenschists, Hornblende Schist, Talc Schist, Chlorite Schist, Garnet Schist, Glaucophane schist.

Features
Easily splits into thin plates, Smooth to touch

Archaeological Significance

Monuments
-

Famous Monuments
-

Sculpture
-

Famous Sculptures
-

Pictographs
-

Petroglyphs
-

Figurines
-

Fossils
Absent

Formation

Formation
Schist formed by dynamic metamorphism at high temperatures and pressures that aligns the grains of mica, hornblende and other elongated minerals into thin layers.

Composition

Mineral Content
Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc

Compound Content
CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO

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, Glacier Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness
3.5-4

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture
Conchoidal

Streak
White

Porosity
Highly Porous

Luster
Shiny

Compressive Strength
150.00 N/mm2 22

Cleavage
Slaty

Toughness
1.5

Specific Gravity
2.5-2.9

Transparency
Opaque

Density
2.8-2.9 g/cm3

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity
0.70 kJ/Kg K 24

Resistance
Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Water Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia
Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, China, India, Japan, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Pakistan, Russia, Thailand, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa
Egypt, Ethiopia, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa

Europe
Austria, England, France, Georgia, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Norway, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland

Others
-

Deposits in Western Continents

North America
Canada, Costa Rica, Cuba, Mexico, Panama, USA

South America
Brazil, Colombia, Guyana

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland

Summary >>
<< Reserves

Metamorphic Rocks

Learn more about Properties of Schist

What is Schist? In this section, we will learn more about properties of Schist i.e. physical and thermal properties. Physical properties of Schist include Color, Streak, Hardness, Structure, Cleavage, Fracture, Luster, Specific Gravity etc. The strength of Schist is 150.00 N/mm2. Streak of Schist is white while its cleavage is slaty. Luster of Schist is shiny and its fracture is conchoidal. Schist is opaque in nature. Know all about Schist, What is Schist, its composition, features, facts and reserves in next sections.

Know about Composition of Schist

What is Schist composed of? Get to know about composition of Schist here. Schist definition gives information about the Formation of Schist and its composition.The composition of Schist can be further divided into mineral and compound content. The mineral content of Schist rock includes Alusite, Amphibole, Biotite, Chlorite, Epidote, Feldspar, Garnet, Graphite, Hornblade, Kyanite, Micas, Muscovite or Illite, Porphyroblasts, Quartz, Sillimanite, Staurolite, Talc and The compound content of Schist rock includes CaO, Carbon Dioxide, MgO. Almost all rocks undergo transformation process. Know all about Schist rock in next section.

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