Stoker coal
Stoker coal occupies a special niche in the broad category of fossil fuels: it is not a distinct geologic rank but a practical product specification designed for a particular combustion…
Explosive-grade coal dust
Explosive-grade coal dust is a hazardous but economically significant form of fossil fuel material. Finely divided coal particles suspended in air can form highly combustible clouds that, when ignited, produce…
Coal dust
The following article explores the subject of coal and coal dust from geological occurrence to industrial applications, economic significance, and health and environmental implications. Coal remains one of the world’s…
Reworked coal
This article examines the geological, economic and industrial aspects of reworked coal — an intriguing category of coal that has been transported, eroded, oxidized or otherwise altered after initial formation.…
Secondary coal
This article explores the phenomenon commonly referred to as secondary coal, examining what the term means in different contexts, where such coal occurs, how it is recovered or mined, and…
Primary coal
This article examines coal in its many dimensions: geological origin, global distribution, methods of extraction, economic importance, statistical trends, industrial applications and the environmental and policy debates surrounding it. Coal…
Geologically immature coal
This article examines the nature, distribution, extraction, economic role and industrial importance of geologically immature coal, commonly referred to as lignite or brown coal. Often overlooked in global energy debates…
Geologically mature coal
Geologically mature coal represents the high end of the coalification continuum: material that has been subjected to prolonged burial, heat and pressure, and in many cases tectonic deformation and regional…
Deep-mine coal
Deep-mine coal—coal extracted from underground seams by deep or underground mining methods—remains a crucial but complex component of the global energy and materials system. This article examines what deep-mine coal…
Shallow-mine coal
Shallow-mine coal — coal extracted from deposits close to the surface — plays a major but sometimes overlooked role in the global fossil-fuel economy. This article examines where such coal…
