Clifford Jed D.

Prieto
St. Paul University Surigao – Mining Engineering Department 

ACTIVITY 1 
COAL MINING 

Guide Questions: 

1. Enumerate at least “Five (5) factors to consider for

the  usage of Coal” and discuss each of these factor
and why is it a  significant factor in the utilization of coal.
(15 points) 

Heating value - Electricity is generated by burning coal

seams for heating. To convert thermal coal to electricity,
it first goes through a milling process that turns it into a
fine powder, increasing the surface area and allowing it
to burn more quickly. Water is converted to steam using
the hot gases and heat energy produced by combustion
to power a turbine and generator. As a result, while
burning coal for its intended purpose helps us meet our
daily needs, storing heaps of coal everywhere could
endanger everyone by causing fire.

Ash melting temperature - Any material containing coal

ash has the ability to easily react with other minerals to
generate fusible compounds, lowering the AFT and
weakening the atmosphere. Furthermore, the primary
components of wood ash appear to be calcium
carbonate, silicon dioxide, potassium oxide, and
phosphorus compound. Calcium carbonate will break
down into CO2, calcium oxide, SiO2, and other
components if heated to a high enough temperature.

Sulfur and other impurities - Sulfur is present in all forms

of coal, and the amount is regulated by the conditions
under which the coal is generated. When it is burned,
however, it produces hazardous air pollution gases. On
the other hand, if coal is burned properly, it may still be
used to generate electricity all over the world.

Mechanical strength - Because coal creates electricity, it

also contributes to the mechanical evolution's strength.
Coal may be able to avert the extinction of mechanical
processes through advanced chemical processes. It
may, for example, make liquid gas suitable for
transportation.

Many other chemical and physical properties - Coal-

containing minerals have the ability to react with other
minerals. Coal is a nonrenewable energy source since it
is a fossil fuel, a combustion fuel with a prominent form.
This benefits society since it generates electricity for us
to use.

2. Discuss the following types of coal below: (Part of your 

discussion should have the following details: (a) other
names and  its different types if they have (b) physical
properties (color,  specific gravity,hardness and etc.) (c)
origin (what era does this  type of coal was formed? how it
is formed? (d) chemical  properties (carbon content, heat
value, etc) (e) where can it be  found and its uses?  
• LIGNITE (15 points) 
(a) brown coal
(b) brownish-black in color, specific gravity of 1.29, is a
very soft coal that contains up to 70% water by weight.
Emits more pollution than other coals
(c) Most lignites are geologically young, generally
having formed during the Mesozoic and Cenozoic eras
(approximately 251 million years ago to the present).
(d) has a carbon content of around 25–35%, a high
inherent moisture content, sometimes as high as 66%,
and an ash content ranging from 6% to 19%, compared
with 6–12% for bituminous coal.
(e) forms from peat that has not experienced deep
burial and heating. It forms at temperatures below 100
°C (212 °F), primarily by biochemical degradation. This
includes humification, in which microorganisms extract
hydrocarbons from the peat and humic acids are
formed. Percentages of How Lignite Energy Is Used ;
79%. Electricity Generation ; 13%. Synthetic Natural
Gas Generation ; 7%. Fertilizer Products Production ;
1%. Home
• SUB-BITUMINOUS (15 points) 
(a) black lignite
(b) Sub-bituminous coals may be dull, dark brown to
black, soft and crumbly at the lower end of the range, to
bright jet-black, hard, and relatively strong at the upper
end. They contain 15-30% inherent moisture by weight
and are non-coking (undergo little swelling upon
heating).
(c) Most subbituminous coal is relatively young
geologically, generally dating from the Mesozoic and
Cenozoic eras (from about 251 million years ago to the
present); however, the rank of a coal is more dependent
on the temperature reached during burial than on age.
(d) Subbituminous coal contains 42 to 52 percent
carbon (on a dry, ash-free basis) and has calorific
values ranging from about 19 to 26 megajoules per
kilogram (about 8,200 to 11,200 British thermal units
per pound).
(e) It has been estimated that nearly half of the world's
proven coal reserves are made up of subbituminous
coal and lignite, including deposits in Australia, Brazil,
Canada, China, Germany and other western European
countries, Russia, Ukraine, and the United States.
Subbituminous coals are a type of coal whose
properties range from those of lignite to those of
bituminous coal and are used primarily as fuel for
steam-electric power generation.
• BITUMINOUS (15 points) 
(a) soft coal
(b)  is dark brown to black, hard, but friable. It is
commonly composed of thin bands of alternating bright
and dull material. the average specific gravity of
unbroken (solid) bituminous coal is 1.32.
(c) Vast deposits of coal formed in wetlands—called
coal forests—that covered much of the Earth's tropical
land areas during the late Carboniferous
(Pennsylvanian) and Permian times. Bituminous coal is
predominantly Carboniferous in age. Most bituminous
coal in the United States is between 100 and 300
million years old.
(d) Though bituminous coal varies in its chemical
composition, a typical composition is about 84.4%
carbon, 5.4% hydrogen, 6.7% oxygen, 1.7% nitrogen,
and 1.8% sulfur, on a weight basis.
(e) Bituminous coal accounts for almost half of all the
coal that is used for energy in the United States. It is
mainly mined in Kentucky, Pennsylvania, and West
Virginia. Outside the U.S., nations such as Russia and
Colombia rely on bituminous coal for energy and
industrial fuel. Bituminous coal is used primarily
for electrical power generation and in the manufacture
of steel.

• ANTHRACITE (15 points) 

(a) black coal, hard coal, stone coal, dark coal, coffee
coal, blind coal (in Scotland), Kilkenny coal (in Ireland),
crow coal or craw coal, and black diamond.
(b) is shiny black, hard and brittle, specific gravity of 1.4
(c) Anthracite (the highest coal rank) material, which
appears to have been derived ... The younger era of
coal formation began about 145 million years ago
(d) Anthracite contains a high amount of fixed carbon—
80 to 95 percent—and very low sulfur and nitrogen—
less than 1 percent each. Volatile matter is low at
 approximately 5 percent, with 10 to 20 percent ash
possible. Moisture content is roughly 5 to 15 percent.
(e) Anthracite is the least plentiful form of coal. In the
United States it is found mostly in northeastern
Pennsylvania and makes up less than 2 percent of all
coal reserves in the country. Anthracite is considered
the cleanest burning coal available. It produces more
heat and less smoke than other coals and is widely
used in hand-fired furnaces. Some residential home
heating stove systems still use anthracite, which burns
longer than wood.

3. Enumerate at least “Three (3) Basis in determining the

Rank of  Coal” and explain each of these basis and why
do you it is  relevant in determining the rank of coal. (15
points) 
Coalification - The most common classification is based
on rank, referring to the degree of coalification that has
occurred. The rank of a coal is determined primarily
by the depth of burial and temperature to which the coal
was subjected over time.

Amounts of carbon - the higher the carbon content, the

higher the rank

Heat and pressure - more heat and pressure means

higher rank

It is important to determine rankings of coal in order for

us to know if a certain coal is up for the job or if it is
cleaner and safer to use.

4. Is coal a mineral? The Mineralogical

Society of  America defines a "mineral"
as: 
"a naturally-occurring, inorganic solid which possesses
a  characteristic internal atomic structure and a definite
chemical  composition." Is coal organic or inorganic?
(10 points)
Ans. No. Simply because coal is made from plants that
are being applied heat and pressure over time. And
since in order for a material to be considered a mineral,
it must strictly be inorganic.