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What is Lignite?



Definition

Definition
Lignite is a soft brownish coal which shows traces of plants and is intermediate between bituminous coal and peat

History

Origin
France

Discoverer
Unknown

Etymology
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

Texture
Amorphous, Glassy

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

Maintenance
Less

Durability
Durable

Water Resistant
No

Scratch Resistant
No

Stain Resistant
No

Wind Resistant
No

Acid Resistant
No

Appearance
Veined or Pebbled

Uses

Architecture

Interior Uses
-

Exterior Uses
-

Other Architectural Uses
-

Industry

Construction Industry
for Road Aggregate, Steel Production

Medical Industry
-

Antiquity Uses
-

Other Uses

Commercial Uses
Electricity Generation

Types

Types
Xyloid Lignite or Fossil Wood and Compact Lignite or Perfect Lignite

Features
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

Formation
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
-

Compound Content
Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur

Transformation

Metamorphism
No

Types of Metamorphism
-

Weathering
Yes

Types of Weathering
Biological Weathering, Chemical Weathering, Mechanical Weathering

Erosion
Yes

Types of Erosion
Chemical Erosion, Water Erosion, Wind Erosion

Properties

Physical Properties

Hardness
1

Grain Size
Medium to Fine Coarse Grained

Fracture
Conchoidal

Streak
Black

Porosity
Highly Porous

Luster
Dull to Vitreous to Submetallic

Compressive Strength
-

Cleavage
-

Toughness
-

Specific Gravity
1.1-1.4

Transparency
Opaque

Density
800-801 g/cm3

Thermal Properties

Specific Heat Capacity
1.26 kJ/Kg K 5

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

Summary >>
<< Reserves

Sedimentary Rocks

Learn more about Properties of Lignite

What is Lignite? In this section, we will learn more about properties of Lignite i.e. physical and thermal properties. Physical properties of Lignite include Color, Streak, Hardness, Structure, Cleavage, Fracture, Luster, Specific Gravity etc. The strength of Lignite is -. Streak of Lignite is black while its cleavage is . Luster of Lignite is dull to vitreous to submetallic and its fracture is conchoidal. Lignite is opaque in nature. Know all about Lignite, What is Lignite, its composition, features, facts and reserves in next sections.

Know about Composition of Lignite

What is Lignite composed of? Get to know about composition of Lignite here. Lignite definition gives information about the Formation of Lignite and its composition.The composition of Lignite can be further divided into mineral and compound content. The mineral content of Lignite rock includes and The compound content of Lignite rock includes Carbon, Hydrogen, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Sulphur. Almost all rocks undergo transformation process. Know all about Lignite rock in next section.

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