CLASSIFICATION OF COAL

. Most of the classifications are based on the physical, chemical and technical properties of the
coals.

Physical Properties
The physical properties of the coals classify them into two major categories: humic
and sapropelic. Humic coals are banded and made up mainly of microscopic plant debris.
They consist of 4 lithotypes, which are megascopically recognized bands in coal – Vitrain,
Clarain, Durain and Fusain.

Sapropelic coals are non-banded, composed mainly of microscopic plant debris, spores,
pollens, algae and most commonly shows conchoidal fracture. Sapropelic coals are
further divided into cannel coal, boghead coal and transition between the two- cannel-boghead
coal and boghead-cannel coal.
Cannel coals are rich in spores while boghead coal are rich in algae. When algae is more in
comparison with spores the coal is termed as cannel-boghead coal, whereas when spores are
more than algae it is termed as boghead-cannel coal.

Cannel and boghead coals, heavily contaminated with clay minerals, and silica, are
called cannel shale and boghead shale. These shales are darker in colour, brighter in lustre and
have higher density than coals. Cannel coals, often found to contain siderite, are called cannel
coal ironstones.
The humic and sapropelic coals which are contaminated with clay minerals, mica and quartz
are called carbonaceous shale. These black in colour, dull, hard and compact, these
are heavier than coal. In most cases, which consist of carboargillite (20-60% by volume of
clay minerals, mica and quartz), may contain carbosilicate and carbopyrite.

Chemical Parameters
The chemical parameters classify coals in four types: peat, lignite, bituminous and anthracite.
This division is based on carbon, ash and moisture content.

Peat

Peat is not essentially coal. It is the first stage of transformation, which is an accumulation of
partially decayed vegetation or organic matter. It is unique to natural areas called peatlands
(Joosten and Clarke, 2002), which is the most efficient carbon sink on the planet
(IUCN,
2017), because peatland plants capture CO2 naturally released from the peat, maintaining an
equilibrium. Sphagnum moss, also called peat moss, is one of the most common components
in peat, although many other plants can contribute. Peat forms in wetland conditions, where
flooding or stagnant water obstructs the flow of oxygen from the atmosphere, slowing
the rate of decomposition.
Peat contains less than 40 to 55 per cent carbon, sufficient volatile matter, lot of moisture and
impurities (Breeze, 2015).
Lignite
Lignite, often referred to as brown coal (Kopp, 2016), is a soft,
brown, combustible, sedimentary rock formed from naturally compressed peat,
which represents the intermediate stage of coalification process. It is considered
the lowest rank of coal due to its relatively low heat content (Osborne, 2013). It has
carbon content around 60–70 percent, high moisture content as high as 75 percent (Kopp,
2016) and an ash content ranging from 6-19 percent (Ghassemi, 2001). The high volatile
content in lignites cause its spontaneous combustion.
Bituminous

Bituminous coal or black coal is soft coal which is most widely available and used.
They have a carbon content of 69% to 86% and lower moisture and volatile
content than lignite coals, ranging from 5% to 45% (Gramellis et al., 2016). They are easily
combusted when pulverized as powder due to their high heating value and high-volatile
content, and they burn with a relatively long flame. These coals are dense and compact and
possess very high calorific value. They are used in production of coke and gas.
Geologically the bituminous coals span from Carboniferous to Cretaceous periods and
have an extensive geographical distribution worldwide.

Anthracite

Anthracite is a high-rank coal, representing a coal that has been subjected to the highest grade
of metamorphism. Anthracite is shiny black, hard and brittle and has the highest fixed-carbon
content (approximately 86 to 98%, Gramellis et al., 2016). Due to its low volatile matter (2 to
12%), anthracite‟s combustion process is slow. Anthracite combusts with hot, clean
blue flame, containing low content of sulphur and volatiles. Due to these characteristics,
anthracite is sometimes used in domestic applications or other specialized industrial uses that
require smokeless fuels.

Classification based on Proximate Analysis

The simple nature of the proximate analysis has helped in developing many systems
of classification. The parameters generally used in classification are moisture, volatile matter
or fixed carbon, fuel ratio and calorific value.

Frazer's classification
It is one of the earliest classifications of coal proposed by Frazer (1877) in the USA.
He devised a system based on the fuel ratio, i.e., the ratio between volatile matter and
fixed carbon content. His scheme of coal classification is given as follows:
 Type Fuel Ratio (FCA/M,
unit coal basis)
Anthracite 100-12

Semi-Anthracite 12-8
Semi-bituminous 8-5
Bituminous 5-0

Frazer‟s classification

Methods for Proximate Analysis of coal

Proximate analysis is taken into consideration for general purpose. It includes determination
of moisture, volatile matter, fixed carbon and ash content following the Indian
Standards Specification. The procedure for proximate analysis does not require elaborate
costly equipment. Thus this analysis is widely used for industrial purpose.
i. Moisture
One gram of air dried coal powder (-72 mesh size) was uniformly spread in a glass dish. It
was then kept in an oven at a temperature of 1080 ±20C for one and half hour. The dish was
then taken out and cooled in a desiccator. The coal powder was then weighed to know the loss
in weight and from that the moisture in percent was calculated.
ii. Volatile Matter (VM)
One gram of air dried coal powder was taken in a silica crucible with lid and was heated in a
Muffle Furnace at a temperature of 9000 C for seven minutes. The crucible was then taken out
and allowed to cool in a desiccator. Again the sample was weighed and the loss in weight was
taken as the sum of moisture and the VM. Then by subtracting the moisture percentage, the
percentage of VM was finally calculated.
iii. Ash
One gram of air dried coal powder was taken in a silica crucible. It was placed in a Muffle
Furnace at room temperature and subsequently the temperature was raised to 5000 C in 30
minutes and then to 8150 C for one hour. The crucible was then cooled in a desiccator. The
weight of the ash was then calculated in percent.
iv. Fixed Carbon
To determine the fixed carbon content, the sum of moisture, volatile matter and ash content
was subtracted from one hundred.
Calculations for Proximate Analysis
Let A = Weight of the Crucible or Glass dish
B = Weight of the Crucible + Sample
C = Weight of the Crucible + Sample after Heating
Then,
Moisture =

Volatile matter =

Ash =

Fixed Carbon = 100-(Moisture + V.M + Ash)