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Basanite  and Slate


Slate and Basanite 


Definition

Definition
Basanite is a black basaltic rock which mainly contains plagioclase, augite, olivine and nepheline and is formerly used as a touchstone  
Slate is a fine-grained, foliated, homogeneous metamorphic rock derived from an original shale-type sedimentary rock composed of clay or volcanic ash through low-grade regional metamorphism  

History
  
  

Origin
Unknown  
England  

Discoverer
Unknown  
Unknown  

Etymology
From Latin basanites + -ite  
From Old French esclate, from esclat (French éclat)  

Class
Igneous Rocks  
Metamorphic Rocks  

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

Family
  
  

Group
Not Applicable  
Not Applicable  

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

Texture

Texture
Aphanitic to Porphyritic  
Foliated  

Color
Black, Brown, Green, Grey, Red, White  
Black, Brown, Buff, Green, Light to Dark Grey, Purple, Red, Shades of Blue  

Maintenance
Less  
Less  

Durability
Durable  
Durable  

Water Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Scratch Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Stain Resistant
Yes  
Yes  

Wind Resistant
Yes  
No  

Acid Resistant
Yes  
No  

Appearance
Glassy or Pearly  
Dull  

Uses

Architecture
  
  

Interior Uses
Decorative Aggregates, Homes  
Bathrooms, Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Floor Tiles, Flooring, Homes, Hotels, Interior Decoration, Kitchens, Stair Treads  

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

Other Architectural Uses
Whetstones  
Curbing  

Industry
  
  

Construction Industry
Arrowheads, Construction Aggregate, Cutting Tool, Spear Points  
As Dimension Stone  

Medical Industry
Not Yet Used  
Not Yet Used  

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

Other Uses
  
  

Commercial Uses
As a touchstone, Creating Artwork, Gemstone, In fire-starting tools, Manufacture of tools, Metallurgical Flux, Jewelry, To ignite fire, Used in flintlock firearms  
Blackboards, Commemorative Tablets, Laboratory bench tops, Standard material for the bed of Billiard table, Standard material for the beds of Pool and Snooker table, Tombstones, Used in aquariums, Writing Slates  

Types

Types
Nepheline-Basanite, Analcite-Basanite and Leucite-Basanite  
Not Available  

Features
Clasts are smooth to touch, Easily splits into thin plates, Has High structural resistance against erosion and climate, Used as a touchstone  
Easily splits into thin plates, Surfaces are often shiny, Very fine grained rock  

Archaeological Significance
  
  

Monuments
Used  
Used  

Famous Monuments
Data Not Available  
Data Not Available  

Sculpture
Not Yet Used  
Used  

Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable  
Data Not Available  

Pictographs
Not Used  
Used  

Petroglyphs
Not Used  
Used  

Figurines
Not Yet Used  
Used  

Fossils
Absent  
Absent  

Formation

Formation
Basanite is a fine-grained, hard rock that forms when bits of lava shoot out of volcanoes.  
Slate is a low grade metamorphic rock that is generally formed by metamorphosis of mudstone or shale, under relatively low pressure and temperature conditions.  

Composition
  
  

Mineral Content
Augite, Feldspar, Ilmenite, Olivine, Plagioclase  
Apatite, Biotite, Chlorite, Feldspar, Graphite, Hematite, Kaolinite, Magnetite, Pyrite, Tourmaline, Zircon  

Compound Content
Potassium Oxide, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide  
Aluminium Oxide, CaO, Iron(III) Oxide, Potassium Oxide, MgO, Sodium Oxide, Silicon Dioxide, Titanium Dioxide  

Transformation
  
  

Metamorphism
Yes  
Yes  

Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism  

Weathering
Yes  
Yes  

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

Erosion
Yes  
Yes  

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

Properties

Physical Properties
  
  

Hardness
7  
3-4  

Grain Size
Fine Grained  
Very fine-grained  

Fracture
Uneven, Splintery or Conchoidal  
Splintery  

Streak
White  
Light to dark brown  

Porosity
Highly Porous  
Less Porous  

Luster
Waxy and Dull  
Dull  

Compressive Strength
Not Available  
30.00 N/mm2  
30

Cleavage
Non-Existent  
Slaty  

Toughness
1.5  
1.2  

Specific Gravity
2.5-2.8  
2.65-2.8  

Transparency
Translucent to Opaque  
Opaque  

Density
2.7 g/cm3  
2.6-2.8 g/cm3  

Thermal Properties
  
  

Specific Heat Capacity
0.74 kJ/Kg K  
19
0.76 kJ/Kg K  
17

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

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  

Asia
Not Yet Found  
China, India, Turkey  

Africa
Uganda  
Not Yet Found  

Europe
Germany, Hungary, Italy, Spain  
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Spain, United Kingdom  

Others
Greenland, Mid-Atlantic Ridge  
Arctic  

Deposits in Western Continents
  
  

North America
USA  
USA  

South America
Bolivia, Brazil  
Brazil  

Deposits in Oceania Continent
  
  

Australia
New South Wales, New Zealand, Queensland, South Australia, Western Australia  
Not Yet Found  

Summary >>
<< Reserves

All about Basanite  and Slate Properties

Know all about Basanite  and Slate properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Basanite  belongs to Igneous Rocks while Slate belongs to Metamorphic Rocks.Texture of Basanite  is Aphanitic to Porphyritic whereas that of Slate is Foliated. Basanite  appears Glassy or Pearly and Slate appears Dull. The luster of Basanite  is waxy and dull while that of Slate is dull. Basanite  is available in black, brown, green, grey, red, white colors whereas Slate is available in black, brown, buff, green, light to dark grey, purple, red, shades of blue colors. The commercial uses of Basanite  are as a touchstone, creating artwork, gemstone, in fire-starting tools, manufacture of tools, metallurgical flux, jewelry, to ignite fire, used in flintlock firearms and that of Slate are blackboards, commemorative tablets, laboratory bench tops, standard material for the bed of billiard table, standard material for the beds of pool and snooker table, tombstones, used in aquariums, writing slates.

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