Bituminous coal
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Bituminous coal is a relatively hard coal containing a tar-like substance called bitumen. It is of higher quality than lignite coal but of poorer quality than anthracite coal.

Bituminous coal is an organic sedimentary rock formed by diagenetic and submetamorphic compression of peat bog material.

Bituminous coal has been compressed and heated so that its primary constituents are the macerals vitrinite, exinite, etc. The carbon content of bituminous coal is around 60-80%; the rest is composed of water, air, hydrogen, and sulfur, which have not been driven off from the macerals.

The heat content of bituminous coal ranges from 21 to 30 million Btu/ton (24 to 35 MJ/kg) on a moist, mineral-matter-free basis.

Bituminous coal is usually black, sometimes dark brown, often with well-defined bands of bright and dull material. Bituminous coal seams are stratigraphically identified by the distinctive sequence of bright and dark bands and are classified accordingly as either "dull, bright-banded" or "bright, dull-banded" and so on.

Lignite
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lignite, often referred to as brown coal, is the lowest rank of coal and used almost exclusively as fuel for steam-electric power generation. It is brownish-black and has a high inherent moisture content, sometimes as high as 66 percent, and very high ash content compared with bituminous coal. It is also a heterogeneous mixture of compounds for which no single structural formula will suffice.

The heat content of lignite ranges from 10 to 20 MJ/kg (9 to 17 million Btu per short ton) on a moist, mineral-matter-free basis. The heat content of lignite consumed in the United States averages 13 million Btu/ton (15 MJ/kg), on the as-received basis (i.e., containing both inherent moisture and mineral matter). When reacted with quaternary amine, amine treated lignite (ATL) forms. ATL is used in oil well drilling fluids to reduce fluid loss.

• BHP Billiton Plc - London, UK - BHP Billiton is the world's largest diversified resources company. We are one of the world's largest producers and marketers of export thermal coal, servicing the major power markets of Europe, Asia and the US.
• Consol Energy - CONSOL Energy is among the nation's leading energy companies and underground coal producers and has a strong commitment to capital investment. CONSOL has been an industry leader in production, profitability, safety, and environmental awareness.
• Peabody Energy - Peabody Energy is the world's largest private-sector coal company. We control 9.1 billion tons of reserves, more than any other producer, and operate or own interests in facilities in nine states.
• Rio Tinto Energy America (RTEA) - Gillette, Wyoming, U.S.A. - In early 2006, Kennecott Energy Company changed its corporate name to Rio Tinto Energy America (RTEA). Rio Tinto Energy America (RTEA) is among the safest and most efficient energy producers in the world. Headquartered in Gillette, Wyoming, RTEA provides the fuel for approximately six percent of the nation’s electricity through five coal mines it operates in the Western United States.
• Rio Tinto Limited - London, UK - Rio Tinto is a world leader in finding, mining and processing the earth's mineral resources. Major products include aluminium, copper, diamonds, energy products (coal and uranium), gold, industrial minerals (borax, titanium dioxide, salt, talc and zircon), and iron ore.