coal
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coal

fossil fuel
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bituminous coal
bituminous coal
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Key People:
E.F. Schumacher Friedrich Flick William Stanley Jevons
Related Topics:
coal mining coal utilization bituminous coal subbituminous coal coal classification
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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 6067 words)

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