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bituminous coal
bituminous coal Bituminous coal.

coal

fossil fuel
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Written by
Otto C. Kopp
Professor Emeritus of Geological Sciences, University of Tennessee, Knoxville.
Otto C. Kopp
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Last Updated: • Article History
Multibillion-dollar plan to convert coal into ‘clean’ hydrogen falters • Dec. 5, 2024, 12:33 PM ET (Sydney Morning Herald)
German Power Prices Gain as Generation Switches to Oil and Coal • Nov. 26, 2024, 10:52 PM ET (Bloomberg.com)

coal, one of the most important primary fossil fuels, a solid carbon-rich material that is usually brown or black and most often occurs in stratified sedimentary deposits. Coal is defined as having more than 50 percent by weight (or 70 percent by volume) carbonaceous matter produced by the compaction and hardening of altered plant remains—namely, peat deposits. Different varieties of coal arise because of differences in the kinds of plant material (coal type), degree of coalification (coal rank), and range of impurities (coal grade). Although most coals occur in stratified sedimentary deposits, the deposits may later be subjected to elevated ...(100 of 6066 words)

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