Coal

Lignite

Coal vs Lignite

Coal

Lignite

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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

History

Origin

USA

France

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

Sub-Class

Durable Rock, Soft Rock

Family

Group

Other Categories

Coarse Grained Rock, Fine Grained Rock, Medium Grained Rock, Opaque Rock

Texture

Amorphous, Glassy

Color

Black, Brown, Dark Brown, Grey, Light to Dark Grey

Maintenance

Less

Durability

Durable

Water Resistant

✔ ✘

Scratch Resistant

✔ ✘

Stain Resistant

✔ ✘

Wind Resistant

✔ ✘

Acid Resistant

✔ ✘

Appearance

Veined or Pebbled

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses

Exterior Uses

Other Architectural Uses

Industry

Construction Industry

Cement Manufacture, for Road Aggregate, Making natural cement, Steel Production

for Road Aggregate, Steel Production

Medical Industry

Antiquity Uses

Artifacts

Other Uses

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

Monuments

Famous Monuments

Sculpture

Famous Sculptures

Pictographs

Petroglyphs

Figurines

Fossils

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.

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.

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

Compound Content

Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism

✔ ✘

Types of Metamorphism

Burial Metamorphism, Cataclastic Metamorphism, Regional Metamorphism

Weathering

✔ ✘

Types of Weathering

Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion

✔ ✘

Types of Erosion

Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness

1-1.51

1 7

👆🏻

Grain Size

Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture

Conchoidal

Streak

Black

Porosity

Less Porous

Highly Porous

Luster

Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic

Compressive Strength

0.15 450

👆🏻

Cleavage

Toughness

Specific Gravity

1.1-1.41.1-1.4

0 8.4

👆🏻

Transparency

Opaque

Density

1100-1400 g/cm³800-801 g/cm³

0 1400

👆🏻

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity

1.32 kJ/Kg K1.26 kJ/Kg K

0.14 3.2

👆🏻

Resistance

Heat Resistant

Reserves

Deposits in Eastern Continents

Asia

Bangladesh, Burma, Cambodia, China, India, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mongolia, Pakistan, Turkey, Vietnam

Africa

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

Others

Deposits in Western Continents

North America

Canada, Mexico, USA

South America

Brazil, Chile, Colombia, Venezuela

Deposits in Oceania Continent

Australia

New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria

Coal vs Lignite Information

Earth’s outer layer is covered by rocks and these rocks have different physical and chemical properties. As two rocks are not same, it’s fun to compare them. You can also know more about Coal and Lignite Reserves. 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. These rocks are composed of many distinct minerals. The process of formation of rocks is different for various rocks. Rocks are quarried from many years for various purposes. You can check out Coal vs Lignite information and Coal vs Lignite characteristics in the upcoming sections.

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Coal vs Lignite 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 Lignite characteristics assist us to distinguish and recognize rocks. Also you can check about Properties of Coal and Properties of Lignite. Learn more about Coal vs Lignite in the next section. The interior uses of Coal include whereas the interior uses of Lignite include . Due to some exceptional properties of Coal and Lignite, 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 Lignite include For road aggregate, Steel production.

More about Coal and Lignite

Here you can know more about Coal and Lignite. The life cycle of a rock consists of formation of rock, composition of rock and transformation of rock. The composition of Coal and Lignite 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 Lignite includes . You can also check out the list of all Sedimentary Rocks. When we have to compare Coal vs Lignite, 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, Lignite is available in black, brown, dark brown, grey, light to dark grey colors. Appearance of Coal is Veined or Pebbled and that of Lignite is Veined or Pebbled. Properties of rock is another aspect for Coal vs Lignite. The hardness of Coal is 1-1.5 and that of Lignite is 1. The types of Coal are Peat, Lignite, Sub-Bituminous Coal, Bituminous Coal, Anthracite, Graphite whereas types of Lignite are Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite. Streak of rock is the color of powder produced when it is dragged across an unweathered surface. The streak of Coal and Lignite is black. The specific heat capacity of Coal is 1.32 kJ/Kg K and that of Lignite is 1.26 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 Lignite is heat resistant.