Compare the Difference Between Similar Terms

Difference Between

Home / Science & Nature / Science / Chemistry / Industrial Chemistry / Difference Between Coking Coal and Thermal Coal

Difference Between Coking Coal and Thermal Coal

September 10, 2020 Posted by Madhu

The key difference between coking coal and thermal coal is that coking coal is mainly used to produce high-quality coke, whereas thermal coke is important in producing electricity.

Coal is a type of sedimentary rock that is combustible. It appears in black or brownish-black colour. Mostly, coal contains carbon and variable amounts of other chemical elements such as hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. There are different types of coal, such as peat, lignite, sub-bituminous coal, bituminous coal, etc. depending on the composition. Also, we can categorize coal into different types according to the application; thermal coal and coking coal are two such categories.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Coking Coal 
3. What Thermal Coal 
4. Side by Side Comparison – Coking Coal vs Thermal Coal in Tabular Form
5. Summary

What is Coking Coal?

Coking coal is a type of coal that is important in making high-quality coke. It is also called metallurgical coal. This substance is an essential fuel and is useful as a reactant in the blast furnace process of primary steelmaking. Therefore, the demand for this type of coal is parallel to that of steel. Due to the same reason, steel making companies have a division that produces coking coal in order to get a low-cost supply for their steel production process.

Difference Between Coking Coal and Thermal Coal

Figure 01: Coke

Coking coal has a low ash content, low moisture content and low sulfur and phosphorous contents. We can categorize coking coal as a type of bituminous coal depending on the chemical composition. This type of coal can produce strong and low-density coke when it is heated in the presence of a low oxygen environment. During this heating process, coking coal softens. The volatile components tend to evaporate, and these components then escape through pores in the coal mass.

During the process of coking (production of coke from coking coal), the material tends to swell and its volume increases. The ability of coking coal to form coke relates to its physical properties such as the rank of coal. In contrast to coking coal, thermal coal cannot produce coke when the material is heated.

The term caking ability describes coking coal because it refers to the suitability of coal to be converted into coke. There are different types of coking coal, including hard coking coal, medium coking coal, semi-soft coking coal, and pulverized coal.

What is Thermal Coal?

Thermal coal is a type of coal that is mainly used for the generation of power. This type of coal can produce electricity upon heating. Thermal coal is also named as steam coal. This type of coal plays a vital role in electricity generation worldwide. This material is the source of heat for about 40% of the electricity generation globally.

However, due to various environmental considerations, the use of thermal coal is limited now. It has become a major cause of global warming. As an evaluation, back in 2014, thermal coal peaked in electricity generation, and it is estimated that this usage will come to a terminal at around 2050 if we attempt to limit global warming. As a result, most of the companies have stopped investing in new thermal coal productions.

What is the Difference Between Coking Coal and Thermal Coal?

We can categorize coal into different groups depending on the application. Thermal coal and coking coal are two such types of coal. The key difference between coking coal and thermal coal is that coking coal is mainly used to produce high-quality coke, whereas thermal coke is important in producing electricity. Thermal coal is highly produced and has a low cost while thermal coal usage is limited due to environmental considerations.

Below infographic summarizes the difference between coking coal and thermal coal.

Difference Between Coking Coal and Thermal Coal in Tabular Form

Summary – Coking Coal vs Thermal Coal

Coal can be categorized into different groups depending on the application. Thermal coal and coking coal are two such types of coal. The key difference between coking coal and thermal coal is that coking coal is mainly used to produce high quality coke, whereas thermal coke is important in producing electricity.

Reference:

1. How Is Steel Produced? 6 Dec. 2019, Worldcoal.org, Available here.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Koks Brennstoff” By Stahlkocher – Own work (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia

Related posts:

Difference Between Clinker and CementDifference Between Clinker and Cement Key Difference Between Gypsum and LimestoneDifference Between Gypsum and Limestone Difference Between Stainless Steel and Carbon SteelDifference Between Stainless Steel and Carbon Steel Key Difference Between Batch and Continuous DistillationDifference Between Batch and Continuous Distillation Difference Between ODS and BDS ColumnDifference Between ODS and BDS Column

Filed Under: Industrial Chemistry

About the Author: Madhu

Madhu is a graduate in Biological Sciences with BSc (Honours) Degree and currently persuing a Masters Degree in Industrial and Environmental Chemistry. With a mind rooted firmly to basic principals of chemistry and passion for ever evolving field of industrial chemistry, she is keenly interested to be a true companion for those who seek knowledge in the subject of chemistry.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Request Article

Featured Posts

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and Cold Symptoms

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and SARS

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Influenza

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

Difference Between Coronavirus and Covid 19

You May Like

Difference Between Phytomastigophora and Zoomastigophora

Difference Between Phytomastigophora and Zoomastigophora

Difference Between Ambition and Goal

Difference Between Ambition and Goal

Difference Between Vaccines and Antibiotics

Difference Between C8 and C18 Column

Difference Between C8 and C18 Column

Difference Between UberX and Uber Select

Difference Between UberX and Uber Select

Latest Posts

  • Difference Between Heat Flow and Heat Flux
  • Difference Between Homospory and Heterospory
  • Difference Between Chrysophytes and Euglenoids
  • Difference Between Acetone and Isopropyl Alcohol
  • Difference Between SDP and RDP
  • Difference Between Masking and Demasking Agents
  • Home
  • Vacancies
  • About
  • Request Article
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2010-2018 Difference Between. All rights reserved. Terms of Use and Privacy Policy: Legal.