Applied Coal Petrology

Applied Coal Petrology

by Isabel Suárez-Ruiz, John C. Crelling
Released October 2008
Publisher(s): Elsevier Science
ISBN: 9780080559001

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Book description

This book is an integrated approach towards the applications of coal (organic) petrology and discusses the role of this science in the field of coal and coal-related topics.
Coal petrology needs to be seen as a continuum of organic (macerals) and inorganic (minerals and trace elements) contributions to the total coal structure, with the overprint of coal rank. All this influences the behavior of coal in utilization, the coal by-products, the properties of coal as a reservoir for methane or a sequestration site for carbon dioxide, and the relationships of coal utilization with health and environmental issues.
The interaction of coal properties and coal utilization begins at the mine face. The breakage of the coal in mining influences its subsequent beneficiation. Beneficiation is fundamental to the proper combustion of coal and is vital to the preparation of the feedstock for the production of metallurgical coke. An understanding of basic coal properties is important for achieving reductions in trace element emissions and improving the efficiency of combustion and combined-cycle gasification. The production of methane from coal beds is related to the properties of the in situ coal. Similarly, coal bed sequestration of carbon dioxide produced from combustion is dependent on the reservoir properties. Environmental problems accompany coal on its way from the mine to the point of utilization and beyond. Health aspects related with coal mining and coal utilization are also included because, in planning for coal use, it is impossible to separate environmental and health issues from the discussion of coal utilization.
The book is aimed at a wide audience, ranging from researchers, lecturers and students to professionals in industry and discusses issues (such as the environmental, and health) that are of concern to the general public as a whole.

Key Features:
- This book focuses on the applications of coal (organic) petrology to our modern society.
- It is an integrated approach to help the reader appreciate the importance of coal quality and coal utilization. Coal composition (macerals, mineral, trace elements) and the overprint of coal rank are treated together.
- The book synthesises all the possibilities of the organic petrology as a tool for coal utilization in conventional applications (mining and beneficiation, coal combustion, gasification, liquefaction, carbonization), as a precursor of carbon materials and as a petroleum source and reservoir rock.
- The role of applied petrology in the characterization of solid by-products from coal utilization is also discussed.
- In addition, this book describes the present status of environmental and health problems linked to coal utilization and the ways in which such problems might be overcome in the future.

Table of contents

  1. Brief Table of Contents
  2. Table of Contents
  3. List of Figures
  4. List of Tables
  5. About the Editors
  6. Contributing Authors
  7. Acknowledgments
  8. Preface
  9. Chapter 1. Introduction to Applied Coal Petrology
    1. 1.1. Fundamental Concepts
    2. 1.2. Coal Resources, Mining, and Utilization
    3. 1.3. Environmental Issues and Options
    4. 1.4. The Role of Applied Coal Petrology
  10. Chapter 2. Basic Factors Controlling Coal Quality and Technological Behavior of Coal
    1. 2.1. Introduction
    2. 2.2. Coal Composition: Organic Components
    3. 2.3. Coal Composition: Inorganic Components
    4. 2.4. Coal Metamorphism: Rank Determination
    5. 2.5. Coal Classification
    6. 2.6. Coal Blends
  11. Chapter 3. Mining and Beneficiation
    1. 3.1. Introduction
    2. 3.2. Coal Strength
    3. 3.3. Coal Permeability, Premining Gas Drainage, and Outbursts
    4. 3.4. Self-Heating and Spontaneous Combustion
    5. 3.5. Breakage During Mining
    6. 3.6. Breakage During Preparation
    7. 3.7. Maceral and Mineral Partitioning During Beneficiation
  12. Chapter 4. Coal Combustion
    1. 4.1. Introduction
    2. 4.2. Combustion Processes and Technology
    3. 4.3. Coal Behavior in Pulverization
    4. 4.4. Combustion Properties of Coal
    5. 4.5. Fly Ash
  13. Chapter 5. Coal Gasification
    1. 5.1. Introduction
    2. 5.2. Processes and Methods for Coal Gasification
    3. 5.3. Main Characteristics and Properties of Coals for Gasification
    4. 5.4. Characterization of Gasification Residues
    5. 5.5. Advanced Gasification (Polygeneration, Cogasification)
  14. Chapter 6. Direct Coal Liquefaction
    1. 6.1. Introduction
    2. 6.2. Process and Methods for Coal Liquefaction
    3. 6.3. Main Characteristics and Properties of Coals for Liquefaction
    4. 6.4. Fate of Vitrinite Group Macerals
    5. 6.5. Fate of Liptinite Group Macerals
    6. 6.6. Fate of Inertinite Group Macerals
    7. 6.7. Fate of Mineral Matter
    8. 6.8. Reactor Solids
    9. 6.9. Applied Petrology
  15. Chapter 7. Coal Carbonization
    1. 7.1. Introduction
    2. 7.2. The Coal-to-Coke Transformation
    3. 7.3. Coke Petrology Classification
    4. 7.4. Coke Strength Prediction
    5. 7.5. Quinoline Insolubles
    6. 7.6. Petroleum Coke
    7. 7.7. Weathering
  16. Chapter 8. Coal-Derived Carbon Materials
    1. 8.1. Introduction
    2. 8.2. Raw Materials and Precursors of Carbon Materials
    3. 8.3. Optical Microscopy Approach to the Characterization of Coal-Derived Carbon Materials
    4. 8.4. Carbon-Based Materials from Coal
    5. 8.5. Carbon-Based Materials from Precursors Other Than Coal
  17. Chapter 9. Coal as a Petroleum Source Rock and Reservoir Rock
    1. 9.1. Introduction
    2. 9.2. Coal as a Petroleum Source Rock
    3. 9.3. Coal as a Petroleum Reservoir Rock
  18. Chapter 10. Environmental and Health Impacts
    1. 10.1. Introduction
    2. 10.2. In-Ground Coal Environmental and Health Issues
    3. 10.3. Coal Processing and Mining
    4. 10.4. Coal Use: Emissions
    5. 10.5. Coal Combustion Byproducts
    6. 10.6. Radionuclides and Radioactivity
    7. 10.7. Final Comments
  19. Chapter 11. Other Applications of Coal Petrology
    1. 11.1. Introduction
    2. 11.2. Archaeology
    3. 11.3. Environmental Recovery Studies
    4. 11.4. Spontaneous Combustion
    5. 11.5. Forensic Geology
    6. 11.6. Automobile Brakes
  20. Bibliography
    1. Bibliography

Product information

  • Title: Applied Coal Petrology
  • Author(s): Isabel Suárez-Ruiz, John C. Crelling
  • Release date: October 2008
  • Publisher(s): Elsevier Science
  • ISBN: 9780080559001