what is coal and what is the uses of coal ??
Answers
Answer:
Coal is primarily used as fuel to generate electric power in the United States. In coal-fired power plants, bituminous coal, subbituminous coal, or lignite is burned. The heat produced by the combustion of the coal is used to convert water into high-pressure steam, which drives a turbine, which produces electricity.
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock with a high amount of carbon and hydrocarbons. Coal is classified as a nonrenewable energy source because it takes millions of years to form. Coal contains the energy stored by plants that lived hundreds of millions of years ago in swampy forests.
- Electricity Generation
Power generation is the primary use for coal worldwide. Thermal coal is burnt to create steam that drives turbines and generators for the production of electricity.
- Metal Production
Metallurgical (coking) coal is a key ingredient in steelmaking. Coal converted to coke is used to produce around 70% of the world’s steel. Coal is also widely used in the production of other metals including aluminium and copper.
- Cement Production
Coal is used as a key energy source in cement production. By-products of coal combustion such as fly ash also play an important role in cement manufacture and the wider construction industry.
- Gasification and Liquefaction
Coal is heated and pressurised with steam to produce ‘town’ gas for domestic lighting, heating and cooking. It is liquefied to make synthetic fuels similar to petroleum or diesel. The majority of coal-to-gas projects are located in the USA and China, with a few in Indonesia, India, Australia, Canada and South Africa.
- Chemical Production
Syngas — from gasification — can be further processed to produce chemical building blocks such as methanol, ammonia and urea.
- Other Industries
Other major users of coal include the paper, textile and glass industries. Coal is also used in the manufacture of carbon fibre and specialist ingredients such as silicon metals, which are used to produce ingredients for the household and personal care sectors.