Introduction
The term COAL generally applied to a sedimentary formation of highly carbonaceous character that is derived from vegetable matter involving of set of processes such as burial, compaction, and biochemical transformation.
The principal constituents of coal are fixed carbon, moisture, volatile matter and mineral matter. The fixed carbon is actually a part of hydrocarbons that are the source material of coal.
Chemical Composition of Coal
Coal is composed chiefly of carbon, oxygen, hydrogen, nitrogen, traces of Sulphur and phosphorus, carbon being major components. Besides these, coals may contain varying proportions of mineral matter which may be residues of the mineral constituents of the plants from which coals are derived.
The chemical composition of coal may be in the following ranges:
- Carbon (60 to 90%)
- Oxygen (2 to 20%)
- Hydrogen (1 to 12%)
- Nitrogen (1 to 3%)
Among the mineral matter, silica is quite common; besides variable proportions of alumina, iron oxides, salts of sodium, potassium, calcium and mineral grains of beryllium, nickel, cobalt and sometimes traces of uranium, molybdenum, gallium and vanadium may also be present in some cases.
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