Within the group of fossil fuels we find coal. Coal is the fuel that can be obtained from the ground by the accumulation of plant debris. It is considered one of the oldest types of fuels used by man. At present, it is still used to generate energy or obtain some important derivatives that are used in the industry. There are different types of coal depending on the use that is going to be given
For this reason, we are going to dedicate this article to tell you what are the different types of coal, their main characteristics and the uses that are given to them.
Coal as fuel
Although it is a type of fossil fuel that is abundant on the planet, the extraction thereof is quite difficult and expensive. This makes their extraction more difficult as the world's coal reserves are depleted. Depending on the type of use that is raised to give there are different types of coal. However, all these types of coal represent an energy source with high heat capacity. This makes it one of the fuels par excellence in most of the world.
Its origin comes from a black sedimentary rock that is formed as a product of the combination of large amounts of water with plant remains. As expected, It is a type of fuel that belongs to the group of non-renewable energies. This makes the formation of coal much slower in time than the rate of depletion of the same given its extraction. That is, the speed will make the human being use coal and its reserves are much faster than the speed of regeneration of the same. Therefore, it is considered a non-renewable energy and is highly polluting.
In the composition of coal we find a large amount of carbon that gives it this capacity for calorific power. It is the most abundant fossil fuel on the planet and is you can mine through the mines that exist around the world.
Origin and characteristics of the types of coal
For the first time it was discovered about 360 million years ago during the stage known as the Carboniferous period. During this period the movements of the tectonic plates buried a large amount of water and closed several oceans. All the water, mud and other elements of plant origin began to have high temperatures and pressures. These conditions were the ones that caused all the sedimentary material to undergo certain changes to turn them into carbon. As you might expect, this process is something that takes millions of years. Therefore, it is not a fuel that can be generated quickly.
Thanks to the photosynthesis process that takes place in plants and trees, they are able to store energy and themselves. This energy is released into the atmosphere when trees decompose. Since during the process of photosynthesis a large amount of carbon dioxide is stored, when later this tree decomposes liberal stored carbon. This carbon also gives rise to the formation of coal after burial over time.
It can be said that the origin of coal comes from the accumulation of plant remains that contain accumulated energy and that originally these remains have a composition divided between hydrogen, oxygen and carbon. Since there is a process of putrefaction of the decomposing plant matter, the amount of oxygen and hydrogen that the body has is reduced. However, the amount of carbon is increased, which makes it possible to burn and use as fuel.
It is also necessary to take into account the conditions of formation of the coal. Although there are different types of coal, they all have an origin with a necessary pressure and temperature at which the rock can form. Depending on the values of these variables, we will have a higher or lower quality coal. Different types of char are commonly found in swampy areas where extensive plant decay has occurred over years and years.
Coal types
As we have mentioned before, depending on the origin and characteristics, we present different types of carbon. Let's see what they are:
Peat
It is a material whose proportion of coal is 55%. It can be said that it is the type of coal with the least calorific value that exists. It is one of the first types of coal to be obtained from extraction. The color is brownish green and has a large amount of water. This peat can also be used for gardening as a fertilizer or substrate.
When it is cream it gives off a lot of smoke and ashes. Therefore, it is considered one of the worst quality fuels. It is the reason why it is used frequently in various housework and gardening.
Lignite
The lignite is obtained after compression of the peat but with a higher percentage of coal. By eliminating the rest of the water, the amount of carbon is raised to 60-75%. This makes it a fuel considered as a medium quality. It is commonly used to generate rudimentary electrical power. The color is black and the texture is rough and coarse.
Coal
Coal is a type of fuel that is obtained after the compression of lignite in the first stage. Its carbon content it is much higher to be between 75-85%. Its texture is greasy and hard while its color is opaque black. Unlike the other types of coal mentioned, they have a fairly high calorific value. For this reason, it is used in thermal power plants to generate electricity.
Among other uses of coal we find the production of coke. This as industrial blast furnaces are used in order to obtain other derivatives such as phenols, defeat us and naphthalenes. Coal is also known as stone charcoal.
Types of coal: anthracite
This is the type of coal considered to have the highest calorific value. Its composition contains up to 95% carbon. This result of the treatments that are made to the coal. Its color is shiny black and it has a very hard texture. It is used for numerous domestic uses such as heating and is also used in the boiler industry. It is one of the fossil fuels used to generate electricity. Being so expensive, some cheaper alternatives are used such as natural gas.
The main use of seriously anthracite is for the production of coking coal. It is the coal that releases the least waste, so it is considered the cleanest.
I hope that with this information you can learn more about the different types of coal.