Question

Name the major types of coal and the percentage of carbon in them.

Answer 1

The main constituent of coal is carbon and the quality of coal depends on how much carbon is present in the coal.

Types of coal:

1. Peat: It is light brown in color and contains only 50 – 60% carbon. It is the most inferior form of coal.
2. Lignite: it contains more than 60% carbon. It is brown in color and harder than peat.
3. Bituminous: It has 90%, 80%, 70 – 75% carbon contents. Bituminous coal is the most common variety of coal and is used as household coal.
4. Anthracite: It is the purest variety of coal. Its carbon contents vary between 92 – 98%. It is hard, dense, and black, difficult to ignite.