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Properties of Slate

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Slate as Dimension Stone

Part of the book series: Springer Mineralogy ((MINERAL))

Abstract

Slate stands out from other stones due to its pronounced anisotropy, affecting more or less intensely all properties of the slate. The anisotropy is caused by the cleavage plane which is composed of mica layers and thus, highly depends on the mineralogical composition and the fabric of a slate. Both, mineralogy and the fabric govern the overall character of a slate and are therefore thoroughly explained. Since not only slate in strict sense is used for roofing, the different and relevant fissile stone types are shortly introduced. In this chapter, the rock-mechanical properties of slate are described, considering especially the dependence of the different strength values in respect to the orientation to the cleavage plane. Emphasis is put on the bending strength since it is the most important and only required strength parameter for roofing slate. Other strength parameter like the compressive strength or the Young’s modulus are important in respect to safety calculations during mining. The physical properties of slate comprise hardness and abrasion, fissility, density and porosity, thermal conductivity and thermal expansion as well as hydric and hygric properties. The optical parameter includes colours and the identification of the different splitting surfaces of slates which give slate a distinct appearance. Furthermore, this chapter includes various data from own investigations and from other published research to provide a comprehensive overview of the different slate properties and to enable the reader to work with it.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Geotechnical Institute, Technical University Bergakademie Freiberg, Freiberg, Germany

    Jörn Wichert

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  1. Jörn Wichert
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Wichert, J. (2020). Properties of Slate. In: Slate as Dimension Stone. Springer Mineralogy. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-35667-5_4

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