The article describes what coals are, what fossil coal is, how it is formed and in what areas it is used in our time.
Definition
All at least once, but heard such a word as embersor coal. So what is it? If to answer this question refer to the explanatory dictionary of Ozhegov, then there you can find the following definitions: coal is a fossil solid combustible substance, which was formed from ancient plants. Coal is also called, for example, remnants of burned wood - coals of fire, fire, stoves, and so on. By the way, to coal after it burned out, this use is not correct, in this case its remains are called slag.
Also, answering the question: "What is coal?"it is worth mentioning wood - they tend to fester even after long heat treatment. In ancient times, their useful property was used in the manufacture of iron from ore, as well as blacksmiths to maintain high temperatures in the forges. And charcoal was used as one of components of black powder. But later the classical scheme “saltpeter, sulfur, charcoal" was abandoned in favor of a new smokeless powder. So we figured out what coal is and more closely dwell on coal - mineral, which in its time helped people to make the industrial revolution.
Education
It is worth mentioning the fact that coal was the first mineral that people learned to mine and use.
Образование основных его залежей началось, по according to scientists, about 400 million years ago. Then most of the earth was covered with swamps and rainforests. Gradually, plant mass accumulated on their bottom, and in those places where the water was stagnant and poor in oxygen, future fossil coals gradually formed. Its first stage was peat, and gradually under pressure, it was compressed and made of stone.
Somewhat later the broad education of this kindfuel has stopped. It is believed that the cause is ordinary mushrooms, or rather, the mold that they caused. It was she who split the substances that helped the formation of coal. Due to the constant movement of the earth's crust and changes in the continents, some deep seams of coal gradually came out, and people learned how to use the mineral, coal.
Industrial Revolution
In the Russian Empire, coal was used.little, and its main production began in the first half of the XIX century, after the discovery of rich deposits. However, Peter I himself understood the prospect of this type of fuel.
So, when he was in the Azov campaign, he was shown a black mineral that burned well. Later, starting in 1722, an expedition was organized by royal decree to explore its deposits.
What is coal fossil? It is a black, dense, but fragile mineral, with a high burning temperature. It is divided into three types.
The first is anthracite. Its carbon content is 95%. The most expensive and high-energy type of this fuel. Used mainly for industrial needs.
The second is coal. It is formed from sedimentary rocks, the percentage of carbon in it is 75-95. Also contains a large amount of moisture, which is why it is flammable and does not burn as well as anthracite.
The third and last is lignite. It is the youngest, is formed from peat residues, contains from 65 to 75% carbon.
In the first half of the XIX century in Russia beganwidespread mining and application of this fossil. However, as in the whole world. A new type of fuel allowed to significantly develop the industry, for example the same smelting of pig iron, which could not have been produced on a large scale before.
Extraction and use
It is obtained by two methods:underground and outdoor. The first one is the most widespread, since its external exits to the surface of the earth are rather rare and quickly depleted. In the underground it is necessary to build mines, where in the depths of the earth the coal seams are crushed in different ways, and then rise to the outside, where sorting and loading takes place.
This process is associated with various kinds of danger.- debris, flooding, methane explosions. In addition, coal dust often contains carcinogenic substances, and miners have to wear respirators that make it difficult to breathe and, as a result, gas exchange in the blood.
Coal is used in a number of industries, starting with power plants and ending with the usual heating of village houses.
Danger
Despite the cheapness of production and highburning temperature, burning coal causes significant harm to the environment. This is due to the fact that in the process of burning it emits a large amount of carbon dioxide, which exacerbates the greenhouse effect.
So we figured out what coals are,what they are, what they are mined for and what their areas of application are. To this day, this fuel is not out of use, but its reserves are depleted, which makes us think about the search for alternative energy sources.
