User:Vishnuge/sandbox

FORMATION OF COAL AND ITS PRODUCTS

Coal is a fossil fuel which is formed from the dead remains of living organisms. About 300 million years ago, the Earth was covered with dense forests. Due to natural calamities like earthquake, floods etc., these forests got buried under the soil. As more and more soil got deposited over them, they went deeper into the Earth and got compressed. Under high pressure and high temperature the dead plants slowly got converted into coal. Since coal mainly consists of carbon this process of conversion of plants into coal is called carbonisation.

PRODUCTS OF COAL

COKE: Coal tar: Coal gas:
 * Coke is the purest form of carbon.
 * It is tough, black in color and is porous in nature.
 * It is used in the manufacture of steel and in extraction of many metals.
 * It is a black, thick liquid with an unpleasant smell.
 * It is highly used for laying roads.
 * It is a mixture of about 200 substances.
 * Products of coal tar are used as starting materials in the manufacture of several substances like dyes, drugs, explosives, perfumes, plastics, paints, photographic materials, roofing materials and very importantly naphthalene balls.
 * It is obtained during processing of raw coal to get coke.
 * It is also used as a fuel in many industries.
 * Earlier coal gas was used for lighting the streets.