Coal, a naturally occurring combustible solid, is one of the world's most important and abundant energy sources. From its introduction 4,000 years ago as a fuel for heating and cooking, to its nineteenth- and twentiethcentury use in generating electricity and as a chemical feedstock , coal, along with oil and natural gas, has remained an important source of energy. Until the twentieth century chemists knew very little about the composition and molecular structure of the different kinds of coal, and as late as the 1920s they still believed that coal consisted of carbon mixed with hydrogen-containing impurities. Their two methods of analyzing or separating coal into its components, destructive distillation (heating out of contact with air) and solvent extraction showed only that coal contained significant carbon, and smaller percentages of the elements hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. Inorganic compounds such as aluminum and silicon oxides constitute the ash. The Chemistry and Technology of Coal provides a thorough and comprehensive overview of the chemistry and technology of coal in the twenty-first century and covers the relationship of coal industry processes with environmental regulations as well as the effects of combustion products on the atmosphere. The book will be of valuable information resource for scientists and engineers working in the coal and catalyst manufacturing industry considering for assistance or update on the clean coal technology as well as professional researchers and practitioners in chemistry and engineering. Coal is the dirtiest of all f... See more
Coal, a naturally occurring combustible solid, is one of the world's most important and abundant energy sources. From its introduction 4,000 years ago as a fuel for heating and cooking, to its nineteenth- and twentiethcentury use in generating electricity and as a chemical feedstock , coal, along with oil and natural gas, has remained an important source of energy. Until the twentieth century chemists knew very little about the composition and molecular structure of the different kinds of coal, and as late as the 1920s they still believed that coal consisted of carbon mixed with hydrogen-containing impurities. Their two methods of analyzing or separating coal into its components, destructive distillation (heating out of contact with air) and solvent extraction showed only that coal contained significant carbon, and smaller percentages of the elements hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and sulfur. Inorganic compounds such as aluminum and silicon oxides constitute the ash. The Chemistry and Technology of Coal provides a thorough and comprehensive overview of the chemistry and technology of coal in the twenty-first century and covers the relationship of coal industry processes with environmental regulations as well as the effects of combustion products on the atmosphere. The book will be of valuable information resource for scientists and engineers working in the coal and catalyst manufacturing industry considering for assistance or update on the clean coal technology as well as professional researchers and practitioners in chemistry and engineering. Coal is the dirtiest of all fossil fuels. When burned, it produces emissions that contribute to global warming, create acid rain and pollute water. But coal is no sooty remnant of the Industrial Revolution -- it generates most of the electricity around the globe and will likely continue to do so as long as it's cheap and plentiful resource. Clean coal technology seeks to reduce harsh environmental effects by using multiple technologies to clean coal and contain its emissions.
