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soapstone

File:Soapstone_(Speckstein)_-_several_colored_samples.jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Also known as steatite, soaprock, soapstone silicate, massive talc

upright=1.35|thumb|Samples of soapstone

Wikidata facts

Subclass of
talc
Mass
379.3
Image
Mineraly.sk - mastenec.jpg
Show 8 more facts
Commons category
Soapstone
NIOSH Pocket Guide ID
0558
immediately dangerous to life or health
3000
vapor pressure
0
time-weighted average exposure limit
6
described by source
Mala hirnycha encyclopædia
Mohs' hardness
3
density
3.3
Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~14 min read

Encyclopedic overview

23 sections
Contents
  • Terminology
  • Petrology <span id="petrology_anchor" class="anchor"><!-- leave underscore in ID as-is --></span>
  • Physical characteristics
  • Historical use
  • Africa
  • Americas
  • Asia
  • Australia
  • Europe
  • Modern use
  • <span class="anchor" id="SteatiteCeramicAnchor"></span>Ceramics
  • Crafts
  • Mining
  • Other
  • Safety
  • United States
  • Other names
  • Gallery
  • See also
  • Citations
  • General and cited references
  • Further reading
  • External links

upright=1.35|thumb|Samples of soapstone

Soapstone (also known as steatite or soaprock) is a talc-schist, which is a type of metamorphic rock. It is composed largely of the magnesium-rich mineral talc. It is produced by dynamothermal metamorphism and metasomatism, which occur in subduction zones, changing rocks by heat and pressure, with influx of fluids but without melting. It has been a carving medium for thousands of years.

Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “soapstone” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.

Gallery (22)