What Is Coal?

Coal is a plentiful resource that has been used for thousands of years to produce energy, both

in the form of heat and electricity. Coal is a combustible sedimentary rock composed mostly

of carbon and hydrocarbons. It is the most abundant fossil fuel produced in the United States,

but it is a non-renewable resource. The energy in coal comes from the energy stored by plants

that lived hundreds of millions of years ago in swampy forests. Over time, layers of dead

plants at the bottom of the swamps were covered by layers of water and dirt, trapping the

energy of the dead plants. The heat and pressure from the top layers turned the plant remains

into coal.

Coal is a complex resource and can vary in composition even within the same deposit.

Generally, there are four different types or ranking levels of coal, each with differences in

energy output as a result of increased pressurization, heat, and time.

Lignite – This is a brownish-black coal with high moisture and ash content, which has the

lowest heating value of the four types of coal. It is considered an “immature” coal that is still

soft. It is used for generating electricity.

Subbituminous coal – This is a dull black coal with a higher heating value than lignite, and

is used principally for electricity and space heating.

Bituminous coal – This is the most common type in the United States, accounting for over

50% of the demonstrated reserve base. It is the most commonly used type of coal for electric

powergeneration in the United States. It is a dark, hard coal that has a higher heating value

than lignite and subbituminous coal, but a lower heating value than anthracite.
Anthracite – This is also known as "hard coal" that was formed from bituminous coal under

increased pressures in rock strata during the creation of mountain ranges. In the United

States, it is located primarily in the Appalachian region of Pennsylvania. It is very hard and

shiny. This type of coal is the most compact and therefore, has the highest energy content of

the four levels of coal. It is used for space heating and generating electricity. It makes up only

1.5% of the demonstrated reserve base for coal in the United States.

Uses of Coal

Access to modern energy services not only contributes to economic growth and household

incomes but also to the improved quality of life that comes with better education and health

services. All sources of energy will be needed to meet future energy demand, including coal.

What is Coal used for?

Coal has many important uses worldwide. The most significant uses of coal are in electricity

generation, steel production, cement manufacturing and as a liquid fuel. Around 6.6 billion

tonnes of hard coal were used worldwide last year and 1 billion tonnes of brown coal. Since

2000, global coal consumption has grown faster than any other fuel. The five largest coal

users – China, USA, India, Russia and Japan – account for 76% of total global coal use.

Different types of coal have different uses. Steam coal – also known as thermal coal – is

mainly used in power generation. Coking coal – also known as metallurgical coal – is mainly

used in steel production. The biggest market for coal is Asia, which currently accounts for

over 67% of global coal consumption; although China is responsible for a significant

proportion of this. Many countries do not have natural energy resources sufficient to cover

their energy needs, and therefore need to import energy to help meet their requirements.

Japan, Chinese Taipei and Korea, for example, import significant quantities of steam coal for

electricity generation and coking coal for steel production. Other important users of coal
include alumina refineries, paper manufacturers, and the chemical and pharmaceutical

industries. Several chemical products can be produced from the by-products of coal. Refined

coal tar is used in the manufacture of chemicals, such as creosote oil, naphthalene, phenol,

and benzene. Ammonia gas recovered from coke ovens is used to manufacture ammonia

salts, nitric acid and agricultural fertilisers.

COAL CARBONIZATION

Coal carbonization is used for processing of coal to produce coke using metallurgical grade

coal. Coal carbonization involves heating of coal in the absence of air. Coke making process

is multistep complex process and variety of solid liquids and gaseous products are produced

which contain many valuable products. Various products from coal carbonization in addition

to coke are coke oven gases. coal tar, light oil, and aqueous solution of ammonia and

ammonia salt. Coke oven gases are about 310-340 cum per tone of dry coal which contains

gaseous products, coal tar vapours, light oil and water.With the development of steel industry

there has been continuous development in coke oven plant since latter half of nineteenth

century. to improve the process conditions, recovery of chemicals and environmental

pollution control strategies and energy consumption measures Carbonization can be carried

out at low temperature or high temperature. Low temperature carbonization is used to

produce liquid fuels while high temperature carbonization is used to produce gaseous

products. Low temperature carbonization (450-750o C): In low temperature carbonization

quantity of gaseous product is less while liquid products are large. High temperature

carbonization (above 900o C): In high temperature carbonization, the yield of gaseous

product is more than liquid products with production of tar relatively low. The potential

availability of chemicals from high temperature carbonization (above 900o C) and low

temperature carbonization (450-750o C).

WATER GAS: It is essentially a mixture of CO and H2. Its calorific value is 2800 kcal/m3.

The average composition of water gas is H2 (51 %); CO (41 %); N2 (4 %); CO2 (4 %).

Manufacture: A water gas generator is a steel cylindrical vessel. At the top, it is provided

with a hopper for adding coke. Water gas outlet is provided near the top. At the bottom, it is

provided with an arrangement of taking out ash formed. Water gas is obtained by the action

of steam on a bed of coal heated to 1000 C. C + H2O CO + H2 – 28 kcal. Since the above

reaction is endothermic, the coal cools down after a few minutes and the reaction proceeds in

a different way to form CO2 and H2, instead of water gas (CO + H2).

C + 2 H2O → CO2 + 2 H2 – 19 kcal.

In order to avoid the above undesirable reaction, the blow of air replaces the blow of steam.

The following reactions now occur.

C + O2 →CO2 + 97 kcal.

2C + O2 →2CO + 59 kcal.

Due to exothermic reactions, the temperature of the bed rises and when the temperature

increases to 1000 C, air entry is stopped and steam is again passed. Thus, steam and air are

blown alternatively. Therefore, the manufacture of water gas is intermittent.

Uses:

Water gas is used

1) As a source of hydrogen gas

2) In the manufacture of NH3 by Haber’s process.

3) As an illuminating gas.
4) As a fuel gas

5) For welding purposes

PRODUCER GAS: Producer gas is essentially a mixture of combustible gases (CO and H2)

associated with larger percentage of non combustible gases (N2 and CO2). The calorific

value is only 1800 k cal/m3 . The average composition of producer gas is 50 % N2; 30 %

CO; 10 % H2 and rest CO2 and CH4. Manufacture: The reactor (furnace used for the

manufacture of producer gas is known as producer. It consists of large airtight mild steel

cylindrical towers lined inside with refractory bricks. At the bottom, it is provided with pipe

for blowing air and an arrangement for removing air. Coal is added through a hopper at the

top and producer gas comes out from an exit near the top.

The formation of producer gas involves the following:

(a) Combustion or oxidation zone: When a mixture of air and little steam is passed through a

bed of red hot coal, carbon (of the coal) combines with oxygen (of the air) in the lower part of

the furnace to form CO2.

C + O2 → CO2 + 97 kcal.

(b) Reduction zone: Here, carbon dioxide and steam combines with the red hot coke and

liberates free hydrogen and carbon monoxide.

CO2 + C → 2 CO - 36 kcal

C + H2O → CO + H2 - 29 kcal

C + 2 H2O → CO2 + 2H2 - 19 kcal

Nitrogen of the air remain unaffected throughout the process. Thus, a mixture of CO and N2

with traces of CO2 and hydrocarbons comes out through the exit at the upper side of the

producer. Producer gas is a poisonous gas; insoluble in water and heavier than air.

Uses: 1) It is a cheap, clean and easily producible gas and is used for heating open hearth

furnaces (in steel and glass manufacture); muffle furnaces, retorts etc., 2) As a reducing agent

in metallurgical operations.
Coal Tar Distillation
Coal tar is produced as result of high temperature carbonization and is a viscous dark brown

product with characteristic odour and consists of about 300 different products. some of the

major constituents are the aromatics and heterocyclic compounds; benzene, toluene, xylene,

phenol,cresol, naphthalene, anthracene, phenanthrene, pyridine, carbazole, coumarone etc..

Typical composition of coal tar is given in Table M-II 2.5.

The tar distillation unit consists of:

Distillation section

Fractional crystallization and washing section

Combustible mixture preparation section

Phenol rectification section

dolomite tar preparation unit

Extra hard pitch preparation

Tar containing around 5% moisture is first dehydrated before distillation. The dehydrated tar

is heated to 375-400oC using superheated steam to drive out the flashed vapour and the

residue is taken as pitch. The oil vapour is sent to anthracite column for anthracite recovery

while the vapour is sent to other column for recovery of various fraction light oil, phenol,

naphthalene and heavy oil fraction. Naphthalene fraction is sent to crystalliser to separate

naphthalene. Phenol is recovered from various fractions by treating with a sodium hydroxide

to form sodium phenolate which is reacted with CO2 to release phenol. Pyridine is recovered

by washing different fraction with sulphuric acid.

Table M-II 2.5: Typical Component of Coal Tar

Constituents Content, %

Naphthalene 5-10
Phenanthrene 4-6
Carbazole 1-2
Anthracene 0.5-1.5
Phenol 0.2-0.5
Crezol 0.6-1.2
Pyridine Compounds 0.5-1.5