Coal Products

Coal is a sedimentary rock that is black in colour. It is most commonly found in coal mines’ coal beds. Carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur, and other elements make up coal. Decomposition of dead plants and animals produces peat, which is then transformed into lignite, sub-bituminous coal, bituminous coal, and finally anthracite.

Coal

Coal is a flammable black or brownish-black sedimentary rock that is found in the form of coal seams. Coal is primarily made up of carbon, with varying proportions of additional elements such as hydrogen, sulphur, oxygen, and nitrogen.  Over millions of years, dead plant matter deteriorates into peat, which is then transformed to coal by the heat and pressure of deep burial.  Coal comes from vast wetlands referred as coal forests, which once covered most of the Earth’s tropical land areas during the late Carboniferous and Permian periods.  Furthermore, many large coal deposits date from the Mesozoic and Cenozoic periods and are much newer.

Coal is largely used as a source of energy. Despite the fact that coal has been identified and employed for thousands of years, it was only used in small amounts until the Industrial Revolution. 

Coal mining and consumption result in premature death and sickness.  Coal consumption is harmful to the environment, as it is the most significant anthropogenic source of carbon dioxide that contributes to climate change. In 2020, coal burning emitted 14 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide, accounting for 40% of total fossil fuel emissions and more than 25% of total world greenhouse gas emissions.   Many countries have curtailed or abolished coal power as part of the global energy shift. By 2020, the United Nations Secretary-General has requested states to stop building new coal plants.

Types of coal

There are mainly six types coal that are given below:

Peat

Peat is a type of vegetation which decomposes and is supposed to be the predecessor to coal. In some areas, such as Ireland and Finland, peat is a major industrial fuel. Peat, when dehydrated, becomes a good absorbent for both land and water-based fuel and oil spills.

Lignite

Brown coal is made up of lignite, which is made up of compacted peat. Lignite is a low-ranking, extremely volatile coal that is mostly used in power plants. It can occasionally be detected in European briquettes.

Bituminous/Sub Bituminous Coal

Bituminous coals are a compact, sedimentary rock formed from compressed lignite. They are usually black in colour, but can also be dark brown. These coals are commonly employed in the field of briquettes, as well as in power plants, manufacturing uses, and the production of coke.

Steam Coal

Between bituminous coal and anthracite, steam coal serves as a bridge. It was originally used to power steam trains, but as their popularity faded, so did the demand for steam coal.

Anthracite

The greatest grade of ignitable coal is anthracite. It is hard, black, and glossy, and it’s mostly employed for domestic and commercial space heating as a natural smokeless fuel. Many produced fuels are made from anthracite, which has a high heat output and a lengthy burn period.

Graphite

Graphite, the greatest coal in terms of technical difficulty, is tough to ignite and is hardly used as a fuel. In its powdered form, it’s utilized extensively in pencils and as a lubricant.

Formation of coal

Coalification is the process of turning dead plants into coal. The Earth has extensive forests in low-lying marsh zones at different times in the geologic past. Coalification began in these wetlands whenever dead plant matter was preserved from biodegradation and oxidation, generally by mud or acidic water, and turned into peat. The carbon was trapped in vast peat bogs, which were subsequently buried by sediments. The heat and pressure of deep burial caused the loss of water, methane, and carbon dioxide over millions of years, and the proportion of carbon grew. The type of coal extracted was determined by the highest pressure and temperature reached, with lignite being produced under relatively mild conditions and sub-bituminous coal being generated under more severe conditions.

Coal’s Applications

The following are some examples of coal applications:

Electric power

Coal is used to produce electricity. Many companies and enterprises have their own power plants, and some of them employ coal to create electricity for their own usage, which is mainly done in combined heat and power plants.

Industry

Coal and coal byproducts are used in a wide range of industries. To generate heat, the concrete and paper sectors use a lot of coal. Coal is used in the steel industry in the form of coal coke to smelt iron ore into iron, which is then used to create steel. Steel has the strength and flexibility required for bridges, buildings, and automobiles because to the high temperatures produced by coal coke combustion.

Converting coal into gas and liquids

Coal can be converted into gases and liquids for use as fuels or processed into chemicals for use in other products. Synthetic fuels or synfuels are the names given to these gases or liquids. Coal is heated in enormous tanks to produce synthetic fuels. When compared to burning coal directly, these fuels emit fewer toxins in the air.

coal tar products for psoriasis

For more than a century, dermatologists have prescribed coal tar to treat psoriasis, and it is deemed safe for long-term use. Some patients, like all treatments, should avoid coal tar. If you’re pregnant or breastfeeding, you might want to try a different treatment option. We don’t know enough about the effects of coal tar on an unborn child or a nursing youngster. People who are sun sensitive or who are taking medication that makes them more susceptible to UV radiation should utilize a different treatment.

Conclusion

Coal is a flammable black or brownish-black sedimentary rock that is found in the form of coal seams. Coal is primarily made up of carbon, with varying proportions of additional elements such as hydrogen, sulphur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal-fired power plants use steam to produce electricity, which is then used to turn turbines (machines that provide rotary mechanical power). Brown coal is made up of lignite, which is made up of compacted peat.