About Coal

Coal is one of the most important fossil fuels that is classified in the category of sedimentary materials. A carbon-rich substance that is usually brown or black. About 40% of electricity around the world is produced by burning it. This figure is much higher in some countries, for example the Netherlands about 94%, South Africa about 92%, China about 77% and Australia about 76% of their electricity produced by burning this fossil fuel. This material has played an important role in recent centuries, not only because of the production of electricity but also because of the important role it has played in the production of steel, cement and other industrial activities.

Types & Usage  of Coal

Coal is generally divided into four categories: anthracite, bituminous, sub-bituminous and brown coal. This classification is based on the type and amount of carbon and thermal energy that is released due to burning. The degree of hardness also depends on the amount of pressure and the degree of heat that has been applied to the plants over the years.

Anthracite: It has about 86% to 97% carbon and has the highest calorific value among all types of coal. This material is mainly used by metal industries. The amount of reserves of this material in the world is less than 1% of the total coal reserves.

Bituminous: This type contains about 45% to 86% of carbon. This material is 100 million to 300 million years old in the United States. Bituminous is usually used to produce electricity in power plants. It is also used both as a fuel and as raw material in the iron and steel industry. About 53% of the sources of this material are related to this type.