Definition
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers called coal beds
Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat
Discoverer
John Peter Salley
Unknown
Etymology
From the Old English term col, which has meant mineral of fossilized carbon since the 13th century
From French, Latin lignum wood + -ite1
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
Amorphous, Glassy
Color
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey
Durability
Durable
Durable
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
Veined or Pebbled
Other Architectural Uses
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-
Construction Industry
Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production
for Road Aggregate, Steel Production
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
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Commercial Uses
Alumina Refineries, Electricity Generation, Liquid Fuel, Manufacture of Soap, Solvents, Dyes, Plastics and Fibres, Paper Industry
Electricity Generation
Types
Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite
Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite
Features
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
Generally rough to touch, Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
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.
Coal formation takes place due to accumulation of plant debris in a swamp environment. The Coal formation process continues, as peat turns into lignite brown or black coal at increasing heat and pressure.
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
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Compound Content
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
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Types of Weathering
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Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering
Types of Erosion
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Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
Fracture
Conchoidal
Conchoidal
Porosity
Less Porous
Highly Porous
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4
1.1-1.4
Transparency
Opaque
Opaque
Density
1100-1400 g/cm3
800-801 g/cm3
Resistance
Heat Resistant
Heat Resistant
Deposits in Eastern Continents
Asia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
Europe
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
Deposits in Western Continents
North America
Canada, Mexico, USA
Canada, Mexico, USA
South America
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela
Deposits in Oceania Continent
Australia
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria
New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria