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Limestone vs Quartzite


Quartzite vs Limestone


Definition

Definition
Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate  
Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone  

History
  
  

Origin
New Zealand  
Unknown  

Discoverer
Belsazar Hacquet  
Unknown  

Etymology
From lime and stone in late 14th Century  
From quartz + -ite  

Class
Sedimentary Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Medium Hardness Rock  
Durable Rock, Hard Rock  

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable  
Not Applicable  

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

Texture

Texture
Clastic or Non-Clastic  
Foliated, Granular  

Color
Beige, Black, Blue, Brown, Cream, Gold, Green, Grey, Light Green, Light Grey, Linen, Pink, Red, Rust, Silver, White, Yellow  
Black, Blue, Brown, Green, Light Grey, Purple, White, Yellow  

Maintenance
More  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
No  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
No  
Yes  

Acid Resistant
No  
Yes  

Appearance
Rough and Banded  
Lustrous  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Interior Decoration  
Countertops, Decorative Aggregates, Flooring, Homes  

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

Other Architectural Uses
Curbing  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, Cobblestones, for Road Aggregate, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium  
Arrowheads, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of Glass and Ceramics, Rail Track Ballast, Roadstone  

Medical Industry
In Chemical and Pharmaceutical Industry, Medicines and Cosmetics  
Not Yet Used  

Antiquity Uses
Artifacts, Monuments, Sculpture, Small Figurines  
Artifacts, Jewellery, Monuments, Sculpture  

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
Animal feed filler, As a Feed Additive for Livestock, Paper Industry, Raw material for manufacture of quicklime, slaked lime, Soil Conditioner, Used in aquariums, Whiting material in toothpaste, paint and paper  
An Oil and Gas Reservoir, As armour rock for sea walls, Cemetery Markers, Commemorative Tablets, In aquifers, Laboratory bench tops, Petroleum reservoirs, Soil Conditioner, Source of Magnesia (MgO), Tombstones, Used in aquariums  

Types

Types
Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa  
Not Available  

Features
Host Rock for Lead, Stalactites and stalagmites are formed from this rock, Zinc and Copper Deposits  
Generally rough to touch, Is one of the oldest rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used  
Used  

Famous Monuments
Acropolis of Athens in Greece, Agia Sophia in Istanbul, Turkey, Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem, Angkor Wat in Cambodia, Big Ben in London, Charminar in Hyderabad, India, Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus in Maharashtra, India, Chichen Itza in Mexico, Empire State Building in New York, Khajuraho Temples, India, Kremlin in Moscow, Louvre in Paris, France, Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, Potala Palace in Lahasa, Tibet, Wailing Wall in Jerusalem  
Data Not Available  

Sculpture
Used  
Used  

Famous Sculptures
Ajanta Caves in Maharashtra, India, Elephanta Caves in Maharashtra, India  
Data Not Available  

Pictographs
Used  
Not Used  

Petroglyphs
Used  
Not Used  

Figurines
Used  
Used  

Fossils
Present  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Limestone is a sedimentary rock which is mainly made up of calcium carbonate.  
Quartzite forms from sandstone and the mineral quartz being put under extreme heat and pressure.   

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt  
Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz  

Compound Content
Aluminium Oxide, NaCl, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, FeO, MgO  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
No  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Not Applicable  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Hydrothermal Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering  

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion  
Chemical Erosion, Coastal Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion  

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
3-4  
6-7  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Medium Grained  

Fracture
Splintery  
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal  

Streak
White  
White  

Porosity
Less Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Dull to Pearly  
Vitreous  

Compressive Strength
115.00 N/mm2  
18
115.00 N/mm2  
18

Cleavage
Non-Existent  
Indiscernible  

Toughness
1  
1.9  

Specific Gravity
2.3-2.7  
2.6-2.8  

Transparency
Opaque  
Transparent to Translucent  

Density
2.3-2.7 g/cm3  
2.32-2.42 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.91 kJ/Kg K  
11
0.75 kJ/Kg K  
18

Resistance
Pressure Resistant  
Heat Resistant, Impact Resistant, Pressure Resistant, Wear Resistant  

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Brunei, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam  
China, India, Israel, Russia, South Korea, Thailand, Turkey  

Africa
Cameroon, Chad, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Sudan, Tanzania, Togo, Zambia, Zimbabwe  
Ethiopia, Morocco, South Africa, Zimbabwe  

Europe
United Kingdom  
England, Italy, Norway, Scotland, Sweden, United Kingdom  

Others
Not Yet Found  
Greenland  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
Bahamas, Canada, USA  

South America
Colombia  
Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
Adelaide, New Zealand, Queensland, Tonga, Victoria, Yorke Peninsula  
New Zealand, Queensland, Western Australia  

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Limestone vs Quartzite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Limestone and Quartzite Reserves. Limestone is a sedimentary rock composed mostly of calcite and aragonite, which are different crystal forms of calcium carbonate. Quartzite is a non-foliated metamorphic rock that forms by the metamorphism of pure quartz Sandstone. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Limestone vs Quartzite information and Limestone vs Quartzite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Limestone vs Quartzite Characteristics

Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Limestone vs Quartzite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Limestone and Properties of Quartzite. Learn more about Limestone vs Quartzite in the next section. The interior uses of Limestone include Decorative aggregates and Interior decoration whereas the interior uses of Quartzite include Countertops, Decorative aggregates, Flooring and Homes. Due to some exceptional properties of Limestone and Quartzite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Limestone in construction industry include Cement manufacture, Cobblestones, For road aggregate, Production of glass and ceramics, Raw material for the manufacture of mortar, Roadstone, Source of calcium and that of Quartzite include Arrowheads, As dimension stone, Cement manufacture, Construction aggregate, Cutting tool, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Production of glass and ceramics, Rail track ballast, Roadstone.

More about Limestone and Quartzite

Here you can know more about Limestone and Quartzite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Limestone and Quartzite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Limestone includes Calcite, Chert, Clay, Dolomite, Quartz, Sand, Silt and mineral content of Quartzite includes Chlorite, Epidote, Hematite, Kyanite, Magnetite, Muscovite or Illite, Quartz. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Limestone vs Quartzite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Limestone is available in beige, black, blue, brown, cream, gold, green, grey, light green, light grey, linen, pink, red, rust, silver, white, yellow colors whereas, Quartzite is available in black, blue, brown, green, light grey, purple, white, yellow colors. Appearance of Limestone is Rough and Banded and that of Quartzite is Lustrous. Properties of rock is another aspect for Limestone vs Quartzite. The hardness of Limestone is 3-4 and that of Quartzite is 6-7. The types of Limestone are Chalk, Coquina, Fossiliferous Limestone, Lithographic Limestone, Oolitic Limestone, Travertine, Tufa whereas types of Quartzite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Limestone and Quartzite is white. The specific heat capacity of Limestone is 0.91 kJ/Kg K and that of Quartzite is 0.75 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Limestone is pressure resistant whereas Quartzite is heat resistant, impact resistant, pressure resistant, wear resistant.

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