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
  
History
  
  
Origin
USA
  
USA
  
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
  
Family
  
  
Group
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
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
  
Colourless, Green, Grey, Silver, White
  
Maintenance
Less
  
Less
  
Durability
Durable
  
Durable
  
Water Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Scratch Resistant
No
  
No
  
Stain Resistant
No
  
No
  
Wind Resistant
No
  
Yes
  
Acid Resistant
No
  
No
  
Appearance
Veined or Pebbled
  
Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated
  
Architecture
  
  
Interior Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Decorative Aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes, Interior Decoration
  
Exterior Uses
Not Yet Used
  
As Building Stone, As Facing Stone, Garden Decoration, Paving Stone
  
Other Architectural Uses
Not Yet Used
  
Curbing
  
Industry
  
  
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
Not Yet Used
  
Taken as a Supplement for Calcium or Magnesium
  
Antiquity Uses
Artifacts
  
Artifacts
  
Other Uses
  
  
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
  
Not Available
  
Features
Helps in production of Heat and Electricity, Used as fossil fuel
  
Generally rough to touch, Splintery, Veined
  
Archaeological Significance
  
  
Monuments
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Monuments
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Sculpture
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Famous Sculptures
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Pictographs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Petroglyphs
Not Used
  
Used
  
Figurines
Not Yet Used
  
Not Yet Used
  
Fossils
Present
  
Present
  
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.
  
Composition
  
  
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
  
Transformation
  
  
Metamorphism
Yes
  
Yes
  
Types of Metamorphism
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Contact Metamorphism, Impact Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism
  
Weathering
No
  
No
  
Types of Weathering
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Erosion
No
  
No
  
Types of Erosion
Not Applicable
  
Not Applicable
  
Physical Properties
  
  
Hardness
1-1.5
  
2-3
  
Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained
  
Fracture
Conchoidal
  
Conchoidal
  
Streak
Black
  
White
  
Porosity
Less Porous
  
Less Porous
  
Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic
  
Subvitreous to Dull
  
Compressive Strength
Not Available
  
225.00 N/mm
2
  
7
Cleavage
Non-Existent
  
Perfect
  
Toughness
Not Available
  
Not Available
  
Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4
  
2.86-2.99
  
Transparency
Opaque
  
Translucent
  
Density
1100-1400 g/cm3
  
2.8-2.9 g/cm3
  
Thermal Properties
  
  
Specific Heat Capacity
1.32 kJ/Kg K
  
4
0.92 kJ/Kg K
  
10
Resistance
Heat Resistant
  
Heat Resistant, Pressure Resistant
  
Deposits in Eastern Continents
  
  
Asia
Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam
  
Not Available
  
Africa
Botswana, Kenya, Morocco, Mozambique, South Africa, Tanzania
  
Not Available
  
Europe
Belgium, Bulgaria, England, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Kosovo, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, The Czech Republic, Ukraine, United Kingdom
  
United Kingdom
  
Others
Not Yet Found
  
Not Yet Found
  
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
  
Coal vs Evaporite Characteristics
Though some rocks look identical, they have certain characteristics which distinguish them from others. Characteristics of rocks include texture, appearance, color, fracture, streak, hardness etc. Coal vs Evaporite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Coal and Properties of Evaporite. Learn more about Coal vs Evaporite in the next section. The interior uses of Coal include Not yet used whereas the interior uses of Evaporite include Decorative aggregates, Entryways, Flooring, Homes and Interior decoration. Due to some exceptional properties of Coal and Evaporite, they have various applications in construction industry. The uses of Coal in construction industry include Cement manufacture, For road aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel production and that of Evaporite include 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.
More about Coal and Evaporite
Here you can know more about Coal and Evaporite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Coal and Evaporite consists of mineral content and compound content. The mineral content of Coal includes 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 and mineral content of Evaporite includes Calcite, Cancrinite, Gypsum, Kyanite, Magnetite. You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Coal vs Evaporite, the texture, color and appearance plays an important role in determining the type of rock. Coal is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors whereas, Evaporite is available in colourless, green, grey, silver, white colors. Appearance of Coal is Veined or Pebbled and that of Evaporite is Glassy, Vesicular and Foilated. Properties of rock is another aspect for Coal vs Evaporite. The hardness of Coal is 1-1.5 and that of Evaporite is 2-3. The types of Coal are Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite whereas types of Evaporite are Not Available. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Coal is black while that of Evaporite is white. The specific heat capacity of Coal is 1.32 kJ/Kg K and that of Evaporite is 0.92 kJ/Kg K. Depending on the properties like hardness, toughness, specific heat capacity, porosity etc., rocks are resistant to heat, wear, impact, etc.Coal is heat resistant whereas Evaporite is heat resistant, pressure resistant.