Coal and petroleum are two examples of fossil fuels that are formed over millions of years from the remains of ancient plants and animals. Coal is a solid fuel that is an important source of energy, while petroleum is a liquid found underground that is refined into fuels like gasoline and diesel. Both coal and petroleum are non-renewable resources that must be conserved, as destructive distillation of coal and fractional distillation of petroleum produce valuable fuels and products, but alternatives should be pursued so these limited resources last as long as possible.

1. COAL AND PETROLEUM
CONSERVATION

2. WHAT IS COAL AND
PETEROLEUM ?
 One of the most significant chemical changes in our daily lives is burning
substances to release energy. Substances that are burnt to produce energy
are known as fuels. A fuel reacts with oxygen and burns to release energy.
Commonly used fuels include natural gas, biogas, LPG, kerosene, diesel,
firewood, coal and petrol.
 Natural gas, coal and petroleum are called fossil fuels. Fossil fuels are
carbon-rich precipitates formed over millions of years by decomposing the
fossil remains of ancient plants and animals.
 Coal and petroleum are two examples of non-renewable natural resources
that are used as Fuel
 . Let us know more about two examples of fossil fuels: Coal and Petroleum.


3. COAL
 Coal is hard as stone, black in colour and is mainly
composed of carbon. Coal is one of the fuels used to
cook food. Earlier, it was used in railway engines to
produce steam to run the engine. It is also employed
in thermal power plants to produce electricity. Apart
from this, coal is also used as a fuel in various
industries.It is consirdedas a non renewable source
of energy because it takes too much time to form. It
is also used to make products such as coke, coal tar
and coal gas

4. HOW COAL IS FORMED
 Coal formed millions of years ago when the earth was covered with huge
swampy forests where plants - giant ferns, reeds and mosses - grew. As
the plants grew, some died and fell into the swamp waters. New plants
grew up to take their places and when these died still more grew. In time,
there was thick layer of dead plants rotting in the swamp. The surface of
the earth changed and water and dirt washed in, stopping to decaying
process. More plants grew up, but they too died and fell, forming separate
layers. After millions of years many layers had formed, one on top of the
other. The weight of the top layers and the water and dirt packed down the
lower layers of plant matter. Heat and pressure produced chemical and
physical changes in the plant layers which forced out oxygen and left rich
carbon deposits. In time, material that had been plants became coal.
.

5. Types of coaL
 Coal is a natural black mineral. It is a mixture of free carbon and carbon compounds containing hydrogen, oxygen,
nitrogen and sulphur. There are four major types or ranks of coal. Rank refers to steps in a slow and natural
process called coalification. Buried plant matter changes into an ever denser, drier, more carbon-rich, and more
rigid material during this process. Based on carbon content composition, coal can be classified as follows:
• 1. Peat: Peat is the precursor of coal. It contains the highest percentage of moisture and has less than 40%
carbon. Hence, it is the most inferior variety of coal. It produces a lot of smoke when it is burnt.
• 2. Lignite: Lignite coal, also known as brown coal, is the lowest grade coal with the most negligible concentration
of carbon. Lignite is brown in colour and contains 40 – 60% of carbon. Like peat, it also produces a lot of smoke on
being ignited. It can be used for power generation. Peat is converted into lignite due to increasing pressure and
heat with the passage of time.
• 3. Bituminous: Bituminous coal is middle-rank coal between sub-bituminous coal and anthracite coal. When coal
is buried very deep, the moisture gets expelled, leading to an increase in temperatures. This results in the formation
of bituminous coal. Bituminous coal, also called soft coal, contains 60 – 80% carbon. The name ‘bituminous’ is
derived from a liquid called bitumen released after heating. It is one of the most popular coals used in commercials
for making coke (coking coal), gas coal, and steam coal.
• 4. Subbituminous: Subbituminous coal contains even less carbon and possesses a heat value. This coal is black
in colour and is not shiny. It is generally formed in less time and found closer to the surface than higher grade coals.
Therefore, it provides a convenient and efficient source of energy for thermal electricity generation.

6. Products of Coal and their Uses
• 1. Coke: It is a rigid, porous and black residue left at the end of the process. It is a pure form of
carbon. Coke is a reasonably clean fuel and is therefore used as an industrial fuel. It is also used
in iron extraction.
• 2. Coal tar: It is a complex liquid mixture of carbon compounds. It is a black and thick liquid with
an unpleasant smell. It is a mixture of about 200 substances. Earlier, it was used to prepare
organic compounds such as benzene and phenol. But, these are now obtained mainly from
petroleum. Products obtained from coal tar are used as starting materials for manufacturing
various substances used in everyday life and in industry, like synthetic dyes, drugs, explosives,
perfumes, plastics, paints, photographic materials, roofing materials, etc. Interestingly,
naphthalene balls used to repel moths and other Insects are also obtained from coal tar.
• 3. Ammoniacal liquor: It is an impure solution of ammonia, and it is also used in the waste and
wastewater treatment, cold storage, and food and beverage industries as a stabilizer, neutralizer
and source of nitrogen.
• 4. Coal gas: It is a mixture of hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide and other gases. It was
used as fuel earlier but has now been replaced by natural gas.

7. Petroleum
 We all know that petrol is used in light automobiles like motorcycles,
scooters and cars, and heavy motor vehicles such as trucks and tractors
run on diesel. Petrol and diesel are obtained from a natural resource
called petroleum.
 The word petroleum is derived from petra (rock) and oleum (oil), as they
are mined from between the rocks under the Earth’s surface.
 Petroleum, also called crude oil, is found as a liquid, deep underground or
under the ocean beds, between layers of non-porous rocks. Different fuels
and substances such as petroleum gas (liquefied and used as LPG
(liquefied petroleum gas)), petrol, kerosene, diesel, fuel oil, lubricating oils
and paraffin wax are collected from petroleum

8. Formation of Petroleum
 Like coal, carcasses of dead plants and animals were buried at the bottom
of the sea millions of years ago. They got covered with layers of sand and
clay over the period of decomposition of organic matter. Due to high
pressure, increased temperature and absence of air, they are transformed
into petroleum.
 Petroleum is obtained by digging oil wells in the Earth’s crust. When an oil
well reaches a petroleum deposit or natural gas, if present, it is first
released with tremendous pressure. The petroleum, which is also under
pressure, then rises. It no longer rises naturally when the pressure of the
petroleum falls. After this, water, gases, etc., are injected into the well to
force more oil.

9. Products of Petroleum and Their Uses
 Petrol and diesel are two well-known products of petroleum. Apart from these two, a few more petroleum
products are used for various purposes. Some of them are mentioned below, along with their uses:
• These are transportation fuels, i.e, via air, water or land.
• Diesel is used to power turbines for the production of electricity in large scale
industries.
• Oil is used to produce electricity at homes and shops.
• Oils help lubricate different types of high-end machines used in different
industries, hospitals, etc.
• Kerosene is used for domestic purposes at home.
• Used by chemical industries to produce plastic, dyes, paints, synthetic rubber,
pesticides, perfumes, etc.

10. Conservation of coal and
petroleum
 Some natural resources are available in limited quantities and can be
finished by human activities; such resources are called exhaustible natural
resources. Coal and petroleum are two examples of exhaustible natural
resources. If these are not used wisely, they will not last for more than a
few decades. Since they are widely used as energy sources around the
globe, it is of absolute importance to think about their conservation.
 Conservation is nothing but the process of using a natural resource more
carefully to last for a more extended period. Coal and petroleum can be
conserved by shifting to alternative or renewable energy sources like
hydroelectric energy, wind energy, geothermal energy, tidal energy, etc.
These alternatives will provide us with more environmentally friendly
options for sustainable development and help delay the energy crisis that
the world is about to face very shortly.

11. SUMMARY
 Substances that are burned to generate energy are called fuel. Fossil fuels
such as natural gas, coal and petroleum are carbon-rich deposits in the
Earth formed over millions of years by the decomposition of the fossil
remains of ancient plants and animals. Destructive distillation of coal yields
valuable products such as coke, coal tar, ammoniacal liquor and coal gas.
Fractional distillation separates a mixture of substances with different
boiling points into components with similar boiling points. This method is
used for refining petroleum. Petroleum is a mixture of hydrocarbons
separated into different components (fractions) by a refining process. Fuels
must be conserved as much as possible so that the existing deposits can
last a long time, giving scientists time to develop alternate fuels.


12. THANK YOU FOR
YOUR ATTENTION
 BY – BHAVY GARG
 10 – B
 7636