Definition
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds
A water-soluble mineral sediment resulting from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution
Discoverer
John Peter Salley
Usiglio
Etymology
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century
From a sediment left after the evaporation
Class
Sedimentary Rocks
Sedimentary Rocks
Sub-Class
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Durable Rock, Soft Rock
Other Categories
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock
Texture
Amorphous, Glassy
Earthy
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Green, Grey, Silver, White
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
Interior Uses
-
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
Exterior Uses
-
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
Other Architectural Uses
-
Curbing
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
As a Flux in the Production of Steel and Pig Iron, As a Sintering Agent in Steel Industry to process Iron Ore, As Dimension Stone, Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Manufacture of Magnesium and Dolomite Refractories
Medical Industry
-
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
Artifacts
Commercial Uses
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
Used in the manufacture of Ceramic Powder, Used in the preparation of Sulfuric Acid and Silicon Diborite
Types
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite
Sedimentary rock
Features
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Generally rough to touch, Splintery, Veined
Archaeological Significance
Formation
Coal forms from the accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment which is buried by sediments such as mud or sand and then compacted to form coal.
Evaporite is water-soluble mineral sediment which forms from concentration and crystallization by evaporation from an aqueous solution.
Mineral Content
Analcime, Apatite, Barite, Calcite, Chalcopyrite, Chlorite, Chromite, Clausthalite, Clay Minerals, Crandallite Group, Dolomite, Feldspar, Galena, Gypsum, Marcasite, Muscovite or Illite, Pyrite, Quartz, Siderite, Sphalerite, Zircon
Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite
Compound Content
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
CaMg(CO3)2, CaO, Calcium Sulfate, KCl, MgO, NaCl
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Less Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Subvitreous to Dull
Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4
2.86-2.99
Transparency
Opaque
Translucent
Density
1100-1400 g/cm3
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
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Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
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Europe
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
USA
South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Colombia, Paraguay
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
Central Australia, Western Australia
All about Coal and Evaporite Properties
Know all about Coal and Evaporite properties here. All properties of rocks are important as they define the type of rock and its application. Coal and Evaporite belong to Sedimentary Rocks.Texture of Coal is Amorphous, Glassy whereas that of Evaporite is Earthy. Coal appears Veined or Pebbled and Evaporite appears Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated. The luster of Coal is dull to vitreous to submetallic while that of Evaporite is subvitreous to dull. Coal is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors whereas Evaporite is available in green, grey, silver, white colors. The commercial uses of Coal are alumina refineries, electricity generation, liquid fuel, manufacture of soap, solvents, dyes, plastics and fibres, paper industry and that of Evaporite are used in the manufacture of ceramic powder, used in the preparation of sulfuric acid and silicon diborite.