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Peat is decayed vegetation probably thousands of years old but which has not been converted to coal. Lignite is called brown coal, again vegetable matter that has not become true coal. Anthracite is a very pure form of coal much valued for steam engines.
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Why is coal an unusual sedimentary rock?
First of all coal is not an unusual sedimentary rock, it is very abundant for the time being. The following is a tutorial from the supplied web site: Coal is clearly made up of lots of compressed bits of dead plants. But when we walk around in the world we usually see old bits of wood and leaves decaying and rotting away (that is, getting eaten by bacteria, insects, and all sorts of organisms involved in decay and recycling of organic matter). For thick layers of plant stuff to get fossilized as coal, something must be going on. Coal Formation starts with accumulation of organic matter (bits of dead plants) in a low oxygen setting such as a peat bog. The organic matter accumulates and forms a bed of peat. The peat bed gets buried by other sediments and under heat and pressure begins to transform to a low grade coal - a Lignite. More heat and pressure further metamorphose the lignite into Bituminous coal. Even more heat and pressure metamorphose the bituminous coal into a nice hard shiny Anthracite. Coal is usually classified into three grades: Lignite, brown coal; Bituminous coal, soft coal; and Anthracite, hard coal. Anthracite is dense, nice and hard, and shiny. The first step in the formation of coal is the accumulation of plant debris in low oxygen conditions, such as in this damp low spot on a moor. Peat exposed to heat and pressure from burial beneath other sediments becomes compressed and chemicaly changes into low grade coals such as this lignite, and under further heat and pressure is converted to higher grade coals. The pressure from overlying sediments that bury a peat bed will compact the coal. Peats transform to low grade lignites when they are compressed to about 20% of their original thickness. Lignite typicaly transforms to bituminous coal as it is compressed further and heated to between 100 and 200°C. This drives much of the water and other volitiles from the coal. Longer exposure to elevated temperature will further drive volatiles from the coal, and drive chemical reactions that produce anthracite. Anthracite coals are typicaly compressed to 5-10% of the orginal thickness of the peat bed, and contain less than 10% water and other volatiles.
Why is peat moss renewable?
First of all it is very easy to get confused with the terms peat and peat moss. They are actually two different entities both found in peat bogs. Peat is the sediment found at the bottom of peat bogs that is mined and burned like a fossil fuel (peat is actually a precursor of coal). Like coal it is considered to be a non-renewable fuel source since it takes so long to accrete (a rate of 1mm per year). Peat moss, on the other hand, is a living plant (such as Sphagnum) that lives at the top of a peat bog. Peat Moss is what is harvested and used to make the soil products you will find at plant stores. It eventually dies and adds to the layers of peat underneath. Unlike peat, peat moss is a renewable resource as much as timber is a renewable resource. When peat moss is harvested from the top of a peat bog, it can take as long as 20 years to grow back to its former size. Because of that peat moss is harvested on a slow cycle similar to forest management cycles and is done leaving the underlying peat undisturbed. Although peat and peat moss are found in the same bogs, they are not normally harvested and mined together. This is because peat is harvested and used as a fuel source in places such as far northern Europe where trees (and wood for burning) is scarce. On the other hand Canada is the primary supplier of peat moss. It has a large boreal forest and no consumer demand for peat as a fuel source.
How is anthracite formed?
Millions of years ago, trees and other plants grew rapidly and when they died they fell into swamps, the swamp water prevented it from decaying and allowing peat to form. After years layers build up, pressure from these layers and heat from below the earth's crust gradually turned it into Ignite.(or Coal)
How is peat formed?
Peat is effectively a low-grade coal. The difference is that the plant material has been compacted under less pressure, and for less time. Here's the process:Plants thrive during an interglacial period, or because of a circumstantial warm breeze giving the right conditions. The best conditions are in marshy deltas.For whatever reason, the plants all die, and the dead, decomposing material is covered before it has been totally degraded, sealing it from oxygen.Over tens of thousands of years, layers of material build up on top of the material, building downward pressure on it, as well as heat. This pressure increases the proportion of carbon in the material.Eventually, the now peat has become a fairly solid material. Over hundreds of thousands of years, it will become coal.The peat may surface at some point because of tectonic forces causing uplift, or some other cause of exposure to the surface.
What are chemical reaction of coal?
The principal materials used for fuel are petroleum and coal. Ordinary hard coal is called anthracite coal, and the soft, lumpy kind that crumbles very easily is called bituminous coal. All fuels are composed of carbon, or compounds of carbon and hydrogen, called hydrocarbons, combined with such impurities as ash, sulphur, nitrogen, etc.
What is the difference in peat bituminous lignite and anthracite?
They are all derived mostly from plants.
What are some solid fuels?
Bagasse, peat moss, anthracite coal, lignite coal, petroleum coke and biomass are all solid fuels.
What are all the fossil fuels available?
oil, coal, gas, peat, lignite
What are all the fuels?
Coal,petroleum,natural gas,lignite,bitumen,peat, and gasoline
What are all of the fossil fuels in the world?
Oil,coal,gas,petrol,diesel,peat and lignite
Which fossil fuel begins its formation as peat?
Peat and lignite (brown coal) are both beginning stages in the production of coal by natural processes. But coals are not all produced from peat.
What are all the known fossil fuels?
The known fossil fuels are coal, petroleum, natural gas, lignite, bitumen and peat
Is anthracite a solid liquid or gas?
All substances can exist in solid, gas, liquid and plasma forms as well as forms in-between.Answer: Anthracite can be any.
Why is coal an unusual sedimentary rock?
First of all coal is not an unusual sedimentary rock, it is very abundant for the time being. The following is a tutorial from the supplied web site: Coal is clearly made up of lots of compressed bits of dead plants. But when we walk around in the world we usually see old bits of wood and leaves decaying and rotting away (that is, getting eaten by bacteria, insects, and all sorts of organisms involved in decay and recycling of organic matter). For thick layers of plant stuff to get fossilized as coal, something must be going on. Coal Formation starts with accumulation of organic matter (bits of dead plants) in a low oxygen setting such as a peat bog. The organic matter accumulates and forms a bed of peat. The peat bed gets buried by other sediments and under heat and pressure begins to transform to a low grade coal - a Lignite. More heat and pressure further metamorphose the lignite into Bituminous coal. Even more heat and pressure metamorphose the bituminous coal into a nice hard shiny Anthracite. Coal is usually classified into three grades: Lignite, brown coal; Bituminous coal, soft coal; and Anthracite, hard coal. Anthracite is dense, nice and hard, and shiny. The first step in the formation of coal is the accumulation of plant debris in low oxygen conditions, such as in this damp low spot on a moor. Peat exposed to heat and pressure from burial beneath other sediments becomes compressed and chemicaly changes into low grade coals such as this lignite, and under further heat and pressure is converted to higher grade coals. The pressure from overlying sediments that bury a peat bed will compact the coal. Peats transform to low grade lignites when they are compressed to about 20% of their original thickness. Lignite typicaly transforms to bituminous coal as it is compressed further and heated to between 100 and 200°C. This drives much of the water and other volitiles from the coal. Longer exposure to elevated temperature will further drive volatiles from the coal, and drive chemical reactions that produce anthracite. Anthracite coals are typicaly compressed to 5-10% of the orginal thickness of the peat bed, and contain less than 10% water and other volatiles.
Is anthracite a nonrenewable source of energy?
Yes, all forms of coal (anthracite is just the most clean burning form) are fossil fuels and thus nonrenewable.
Is peat the first stage of coal?
It can be, but not all peat becomes coal, and not all coal began as peat. Peat forms on the Earth's surface, while coal has to form within rock layers deep in the Earth. Coal takes many thousands of years to form. Peat forms more quickly, but only at about 1 mm depth per year. So neither can be considered a renewable form of energy.
What material found in nature can turn to diamond?
That would be coal. --------------------------------- The correct answer is Carbon - Coal is also a form of carbon as is Graphite. There are 3 grades of Coal - Lignite, which is 55% Carbon - Bituminous, which is 75 to 90 percent Carbon and Anthracite,which is 90% Carbon and 10% impurites.(such as Sulfur) In summary- Diamond, Coal and Graphite are all Different forms of Carbon
