Introduction to Coal

The word “coal” is taken from Old English word “col” which means glowing ember. Coal is a
black sedimentary rock. It usually occurs in coal beds found in coal mines. Coal comprises of
carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, sulphur, etc. When dead plants and animals decay and convert into
peat which in turn is converted into lignite, then sub-bituminous coal, after that bituminous coal,
and lastly anthracite. Hence, coal is a fossil fuel. It takes places due to geological process and
takes millions of years to form. Coal is extracted by mining. China is the world’s top coal
producer.

Formation of Coal

It takes millions of years for coal to form. Millions of years ago, there were places on the earth
with dense forests in wetlands, due to natural calamities such as flooding, tsunami, landslide, etc
these forests got buried under the soil. Over the years, more and more soil compiled over these
forests. Oxidation protected these trees from biodegradation, usually by mud or acidic water.
This traps the carbon that was buried in the sediments. Carbonization takes place, carbonization
is a process where vegetation turns into carbon. It is a slow process.

Uses of coal

Coal has various purposes, the following are the uses of coal :

Thermal coal is used to produce electricity.

Coking coal is used in the production of steel.

Coal is also used to make silicon metal which is used to produce silicones and silanes, which are
in turn used to make lubricants, water repellents, resins, cosmetics, hair shampoos, and
toothpaste.
Activated charcoal is used to make face packs and cosmetics.

Carbon fibre is made from coal. Carbon fibre is an extremely strong but lightweight
reinforcement material used in construction, mountain bikes, and tennis rackets.

Activated carbon is used in filters for water and air purification and in kidney dialysis machines.
Coal is used to make activated carbon.

Paper manufacturers use coal to make paper.

Coal helps to create alumina refineries.

Thousands of different products have coal or coal by-products as components: soap, aspirins,
solvents, dyes, plastics, and fibres, such as rayon and nylon.

Q1. What is carbonization?

The process of decomposition of animals and plants

It is the process of burning coal

The process of extracting coal

It is the process of conversion of vegetation into carbon

Sol: Carbonization is a process where the vegetation turns into carbon.

Q2. How is coal procured?

Sol: Coal is found in coal beds or coal seams. These coal beds or coal seams are found in coal
mines. Coal is extracted with the help of the process of mining.
Coal and Coke

What is coke? All of us have had ‘coke’ i.e coca cola at some point or the other in our lives. But
is it the same? Well no, it is actually a type of non- renewable fuel. Let’s us find out more about
it.

Introduction to Coal

Coal is a black sedimentary rock occurring in coal beds and coal mines. Coal is mined from these
coal beds and mines. It takes millions of years for its formation. It occurs naturally. When plants
and dead animals decay and get buried under the mud, carbon gets trapped in the sediments and
carbonizations take places.

Various types of coal are used for various types of purposes. For e.g. thermal coal is used for the
production of electricity or power. Steel production uses coking steel. Activated carbon is used in
filters and water purification. Activated charcoal is used to make face packs and toothpaste. Coal
is also used for manufacturing and in cooking, for example, barbecue. It helps to create alumina
refineries. Products such as resins, lubricants, certain hair shampoos, etc also contain coal in it.

What is Coke?

Coal has very few impurities in it known as coke and also has a high carbon content. It has a
solid state of matter. Its components are the destructive distillation of low-ash, low-sulphur
bituminous coal which derives from carbonaceous material and can be found in nature; usually a
grey, porous and hard substance. It is also known as pet coke or petroleum coke.

It is almost the pure form of carbo and it consists of carbon similar to coal. Its calorific value
(energy produced when 1 Kg of a fuel is burnt) is about 56,000 kilojoules/kilogram and is more
expensive than coal. It is made in an airless furnace or oven temperatures as high as two
thousand degree Celsius but usually around one thousand to one thousand one hundred degrees
Celsius. This process eliminates the volatile parts of the coal, such as tar, water, and gas.

Uses of Coke
The following are the uses of coke :

It is used to reduce iron oxide to produce iron.

It can be used in households as a clean fuel, relatively free of smoke and impurities.

In the past, it was often used in kitchen stoves.

Coke is also used to produce water gas.

It is used as a reducing agent in smelting iron ore.

Even blacksmiths use it as a fuel in blacksmithing.

In the sixties and seventies, it was used for house heating.

It was used for domestic heating following the creation of smokeless zones.

Some people roast malted barley for use in their Scotch Whisky burning a mixture of coke and
peat.

NASA used it as of the materials used in the heat shielding of

Apollo Command Module.

It is also used as a synthetic gas.

Solved Example For You

Q. What is the calorific value (energy produced when 1 Kg of a fuel is

burnt) of Coke?

Sol: The calorific value of coke is 65000 kilograms or kilojoules.

Coal Tar and Coal Gas

By now, we already know about coal but coal is further filtered into Coal Tar, Coal Gas and
Coke. But what is a coal gas? And what is coal tar? Let’s find out more about them below.

Coal Tar

Coal tar is a thick black liquid which is a by-product of the production of coal gas and coke. It
contains benzene, naphthalene, phenols, aniline, and many other organic chemicals. Coal tar is
used for medical and industrial purposes. However, coal is also known as cutar, balnetar, liquor
carbonis detergens, liquor picis carbonis, etc. Uses of Coal tar

The following are the uses of coal tar :

Coal tar is used as the medication to heal itching, scaling, and flaking due skin conditions.

It is also used in making medicated shampoo to treat dandruff and to kill lice.
Properties of Coal Tar

The following are the properties of coal tar :

Coal tar is black in color.

It’s a semi-solid and semi-liquid in nature and is less permeable.

Its density is very thick and It has a peculiar smell.

Tar is insoluble in nature which means that it can’t dissolve in water.

It has a boiling point of two hundred to two hundred and fifty-degree celsius.

Its a fuel resistant and has more temperature susceptible than asphalt cement.

Coal Gas

Coal gas is a mixture of gases i.e. hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide and volatile hydrocarbons procured
by the destructive distillation of coal. It is a flammable gas and is made from coal which supplied via a piped
system and is obtained from coal in the absence of air and contains nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

Uses of coal gas

The following are the uses of coal gas:

Coal gas is used in lighting.

The gas is also used for heating.

Most often than not many people use this gas for cooking.

It is used as a fuel

Coal gas is also used as an illuminant.

Formation of Coal Gas

Coal gas is procured from the distillation of soft coal and is a by-product of coke. It does not have any fixed
composition. Most of the coal gas consists of hydrogen and methane with small amounts of other
hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas), carbon dioxide, and nitrogen

Natural Gas

You know that you use coal for barbecue, but what type of gas do you usually in your kitchen? Do you know
that? Generally, natural gas is used in the kitchen to cook food. But what is natural gas? How is this formed?
What are its uses? What are its properties? Let’s find out more about it.

What is Natural Gas?

Natural Gas is a fossil fuel. It occurs naturally and approximately consists of 95% hydrocarbon methane, the
other 5% consists of nitrogen, carbon dioxide, helium or hydrogen sulfide. It takes millions of years for it to
form.

The gas is formed when layers of decaying plants and animals are buried under the earth’s surface and are
exposed to intense heat and pressure for millions of years. Plants originally obtain energy from the sun and
store in the form of chemical bonds in the gas. And thus, the formation of this gas occurs.

Properties of Natural Gas

The following are the properties of Natural Gas :

The state of matter of this gas is gaseous.

It doesn’t have any color and is a tasteless gas.

It is free of any kind of toxic, there is no smoke on burning and it has high calorific value.

The gas is odorless. However, a chemical called mercaptan is added to it in small amounts to give it
distinctive smell of eggs.

This helps to find out any gas leaks.

It is a combustible gas and a fossil fuel.

Its a mixture of simple hydrocarbon compounds.

It contains primarily methane, along with small amounts of ethane, butane, pentane, and propane.

The by-products of this gas are water vapor and carbon dioxide.

Air is 60% heavier than natural gas.

It has a low flammability range and a high ignition temperature.

Generally, it is transported through pipes.

It occurs naturally in the rocks beneath the earth’s surface, in sedimentary rocks that are porous.

Uses of Natural Gas

The following are the uses of natural gas :

It is used in vehicles in the form of CNG (Compressed Natural Gas).

It is also used to manufacture a few chemicals and fertilizers.

The gas is used as a source of energy for cooking, heating, and electricity generation.

It is used as chemical feedstock for manufacturing plastic and other commercially important organic
chemicals.

The gas is also useful in the production of fabrics, glass, paint, plastic, steel, etc.

Hydrogen can also be produced with the help of it.

Protein-rich animal and fish feed is produced by feeding this gas on a commercial scale.

What is Petroleum?

Petroleum is a substance that occurs naturally. It is a dark liquid. It occurs beneath the earth’s surface. A
large number of products like petrol, diesel, lubricating oil, etc derive from petroleum. Its compounds can be
separated with the help of fractional distillation. In the year 2006, primary sources of energy consisted of
petroleum 36.8%, natural gas 22.9%, and coal 26.6% share for fossil fuel in primary energy production in
the world.

Petroleum Refining Process

Deposition of petroleum occurs with natural gas in the rocks called oil wells from where it is taken out by
drilling. Refining is a process where the separation of various compounds of crude oil occurs.
Fractional distillation is a process used to separate its compounds.

Petroleum Refining Process Flow Chart

Different vapors rise at different temperature and as they condense, they are collected in different
trays. Different liquids are collected in different trays. A few gases reach the top of the column without
condensing.

Products produced in Petroleum Refining Process

Petroleum Gas: Generally, liquefied petroleum gas is useful for domestic fuel.

Gasoline: Procuration of petrol occurs from this fraction.

Kerosene: It is used as domestic fuel and also as fuel in jet engines.

Diesel oil or light oil: It is useful in the automobile industry.

Heavy Oil or Lubricating Oil: This type of oil is used in making lubricating oils.

Fuel Oil: It is essential for ships, central heating, and factories.

Residue: We can procure products like paraffin wax, bitumen from this residue. It is useful for making roads
and roofing.