Name: Loren Mae Detalo Date: March 20, 2023

Course/Year: BSEM III COAL MINING

ACTIVITY 1

Guide Questions:

1. Discuss the following types of coal below:

(Part of your discussion should have the following details:
(a) Other names and its different types if they have
(b) Physical properties (color, specific gravity, hardness and etc.)
(c) Origin (what era does this type of coal was formed? how it is formed?
(d) Chemical properties (carbon content, heat value, etc.)
(e) Where can it be found and its uses?
• LIGNITE
(a) Other names and its different types if they have
- Lignite, often called lignite, is a soft, brown, combustible deposit. A rock made from naturally pressed
peat. Three main types of lignite, they are brown, black and subbituminous. lignite brown or it is black in
color and has a higher moisture content than other coals.
(b) Physical properties (color, specific gravity, hardness and etc.)
Color: Brownish-black
Specific gravity: 1.29
Hardness: 3-4, slightly harder than amber
(c) Origin (what era does this type of coal was formed? how it is formed?
- In the Tertiary period, about 60 million years ago, lignite was mainly mined. It forms when peat is heated
and subjected to strong pressure that is the first step in the formation of charcoal. There is lignite in the
middle of the mountain often discovered.
(d) Chemical properties (carbon content, heat value, etc.)
- Carbon content: 25%-35% Heat value: 5,000 to 7,500 british thermal units per pound [Btu/lb], on a wet
basis.
(e) Where can it be found and its uses?
- Lignite is found in states such as Akwa Ibom, Anambra and Bayelsa in Nigeria. Cross River, Delta, Ed,
and Imo States. It can be used for residential purposes, Lignite is a solid fuel used primarily for heating and
some industrial activities, power generation.

• SUB-BITUMINOUS
(a) Other names and its different types if they have
- Hard coal, also called black lignite, is mostly dark brown to black hard coal. Depending on the hard coal
rank between lignite and hard coal classification used in the United States and Canada.
(b) Physical properties (color, specific gravity, hardness and etc.)
Color: black and is mainly dull (not shiny)
Specific gravity: 1.30
Hardness: 2 and 2.5 CV
(c) Origin (what era does this type of coal was formed? how it is formed?
- Coal rank is more affected by the temperature reached during burial. Most hard coals are geologically
relatively young, due to their age. Typically during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic (about 251 million) year and
today). compared to browning conditions. The lignite then passes through and is then coalified to produce
subbituminous hard coal, Bituminous and anthracite coals arise from deeper burial and exposure.
(d) Chemical properties (carbon content, heat value, etc.)
Carbon content: 35%-45%
Heat value: 8,300 to 11,500 Btu/lb
(e) Where can it be found and its uses?
- Sub-bituminous and lignite coal is believed to account for more than half of the world's reserves Australia,
Brazil, Canada, China, Germany and other Western European countries, Russia, Ukraine, and the United
States conditions. Sub-bituminous coal is mainly used as a fuel for steam power create.
• BITUMINOUS
(a) Other names and its different types if they have
- bituminous coal, also called soft coal, is the most common form of coal, it ranks between subbituminous
hard coal and anthracite, according to a classification of coal used in the United States and Canada. United
States and Canadian bituminous coal is divided into high, medium and low volatility bituminous groups.
(b) Physical properties (color, specific gravity, hardness and etc.)
Color: dark brown to black
Specific gravity: 1.32
Hardness: 2 and 2.5
(c) Origin (what era does this type of coal was formed? how it is formed?
- Bituminous coal is 100 to 300 million years old and is formed at high temperatures, and pressure. It is
named after bitumen, a sticky substance similar to tar present in petroleum. Carbon accounts for 45-86% of
that.
(d) Chemical properties (carbon content, heat value, etc.)
Carbon content: 45% - 86%
Heat value: 24.423 to 32.564 KJ/Kg
(e) Where can it be found and its uses?
- Bitumen is mainly used in industry. In the construction industry it is commonly called asphalt because it is
used in the construction of roads. Due to its adhesive and waterproofing properties, it is effective for
roofing.

• ANTHRACITE
(a) Other names and its different types if they have
- Anthracite, also known as bituminous coal or bituminous coal, is a hard, compact variety. Coal with a
semi-metallic luster. Anthracite is divided into three types grade. These are (i) semi-anthracite or standard
grade, (ii) anthracite or high quality, and (iii) meta-anthracite or ultra-high quality.
(b) Physical properties (color, specific gravity, hardness and etc.)
Color: chalky, very dark tone of grey almost black
Specific gravity: 1.47
Hardness: 2.75-3
(c) Origin (what era does this type of coal was formed? how it is formed?
- About 300 million years ago, during the Carboniferous period of the earth's history, Anthracite was
formed. At that time the temperature was extremely high, huge swaths of horsetail, ferns, and datura trees
continued to grow in the damp wetland. Anthracite is produced by a very low degree of
metamorphism. Structural deformation following bituminous coal.
(d) Chemical properties (carbon content, heat value, etc.)
Carbon content: 86%-97%
Heat value: gross calorific value is equal to or greater than 24 000 kJ/kg
(e) Where can it be found and its uses?
- Anthracite coal is produced primarily in northeastern Pennsylvania. Anthracite is most commonly
used today it is used as a domestic fuel in either hand-lit stoves or mechanical heaters. It burns cleanly and
produces very little soot, making it perfect for this job. High energy per weight. Its high value allows it to be
used in power plants forbidden expensive.

2. Enumerate at least “Five (5) factors to consider for the usage of Coal” and discuss each of these factor
and why is it a significant factor in the utilization of coal.
 Calorific Value – Calculates the amount of heat or energy emitted per kilogram of coal completely
combusted in air or oxygen. That is higher calorific value is low ash and moisture content.
Efficiency at high calorie usage is fairly high coal.
 Ash Melt Temperature - A measure of the temperature at which ash melts. Melts, softens, or
completely transforms into a stain that changes its state from solid to liquid. Essential for the heat
conversion process that melts the ash very high temperature. When to Consider Ash Melting
Temperature. The use of coal improves the efficiency of the conversion process and if the
temperature is too low, there is a risk of slag formation.
 Sulfur and Other Contaminants - Sulfur and other contaminants should be considered be careful
when burning coal. The higher the concentration of sulfur in the coal, the more boost you
get. However, heating and oxidizing coal can cause corrosion. State of coal it depends on the
amount of sulfur and other impurities it contains. Industrial field Sulfur must first be removed from
the coal to avoid harmful environmental impacts. The nitrogen content of charcoal is unfavorable
and does not affect its effectiveness as a heat source. Higher grade coal has more
oxygen boundaries and therefore less oxygen. Amount of heat that can be generated.
 Mechanical strength - coal's crushability or resistance to be crushed. The Hard Grove Grindability
Index is used to determine grindability. A lower HGI requires more effort and time to grind the coal.
Grindability Coal quantity is one factor to consider.
 Many other chemical and physical properties - one of the physical properties Charcoal porosity is a
measure of an object's ability to accommodate empty space. The higher the surface area of coal,
the higher the porosity. Porosity is an important factor when analyzing the microstructure of a
material. This correlates to the amount of interstices that can hold liquid relative to the total volume
of the material

3. Enumerate at least “Three (3) Basis in determining the Rank of Coal” and explain each of these basis
and why do you think it is relevant in determining the rank of coal.
Anthracite - the highest rank of coal. Charcoal is sometimes called hard Charcoal is a brittle, hard, shiny,
black substance. there is a fair amount made of solid carbon and low volatility materials.
Bituminous coal - Bituminous coal is a medium coal between sub-bituminous and sub-bituminous
coals Anthracite. Generally, bituminous coal with high calorific value (Btu) is used in the United States for
power and steel production. coal is smooth bright and blocky when first encountered. But if you look
closely, make sure you alternate thin glossy and matte layers.
Lignite - Lignite, also called lignite, is the lowest rank of coal lowest carbon concentration. Lignite has high
water content and low water content it is widely used for power generation due to its high calorific value.
A long natural process, “coalification,” transforms buried plant matter into harder, denser, drier, more
carbon-rich material through a series of stages described by ranks. Coal rank, a measure of coal maturity,
is the most important factor related to a coal's carbonization history and its availability.
4. Do you consider coal as a mineral? The Mineralogical Society of America defines a "mineral" as: "a
naturally-occurring, inorganic solid which possesses a characteristic internal atomic structure and a definite
chemical composition."
- No, coal is not classified as a mineral because it is derived from organic matter. Minerals must be present
in nature. This suggests synthetic materials such as: Steel is not made of minerals. A substance is defined
as inorganic if it is neither living nor produced by living organisms. The atoms that make up crystalline
solids are repeated and arranged in predictable ways. Minerals always have a certain chemical
composition, but these chemical compositions can vary within certain limits.