Stach S Textbook Of Coal Petrology

Coal petrology has undergone extremely rapid development since the appearance of the Second Edition of the "Textbook of Coal Petrology" in 1975. The advances have been not only in the techniques and methods used but also in applications to geological and industrial problems. The surprisingly rapid depletion of all available stocks of the Second Edition can be attributed, among other things, to the fact that those now keenly interested in the techniques and results of coal petrology include not only coal scientists but also geologists, geophysicists and petrologists in neighbouring fields. Much new information has become available on matters relating to coal facies and the origin of macerals as a result of studies on North American peat occurrences and of fluorescence microscopy of coals and oil shales. As with petroleum research, some of the most significant advances have come from the integration of coal petrographic and organic geochemical studies. Computers have led to technical advances in maceral analysis, reflectance measurement and the characterization of fluorescence spectra. Reflected light fluorescence microscopy has been notably productive of new results for both coals and petroleum source rocks. It is for this reason that the Third Edition of the "Textbook" includes two colour plates to illustrate fluorescence. Microscopic techniques for the determination of rank have been of special value since measurements of vitrinite reflectance in different rocks are applied to the assessment of the degree of diagenesis and metamorphism, to unravelling the tectonic history of sedimentary basins and to estimating palaeogeothermal gradients. In petroleum geology the reflectance of vitrinite is now widely accepted as the best measure of maturity of source rocks. The use of fluorescence microscopy has become indispensable to the petroleum industry because it enables oil-generating macerals to be recognized and their abundance estimated. "Coal petrology" in a narrow sense has given way to the much broader pursuit of "organic petrology". Coal petrographic studies now provide insights into the process of carbonization and liquefaction. The formation of coke has been shown to be influenced (amongst other things) by the way in which the reactive macerals and inertinite are associated with each other in the coal. Comparative studies of maceral composition and rank with those of the relevant hydrogenation residues enable conversion rates and efficiencies to be assessed for the various coals. Numerous additions (109 pages with 5 plates, 2 of which coloured, 45 figures and 10 tables) to the previous second edition appear after the original relevant sections. New references will be found separately at the end of the previous literature section.

This book is an integrated approach towards the applications of coal (organic) petrology and discusses the role of this science in the field of coal and coal-related topics. Coal petrology needs to be seen as a continuum of organic (macerals) and inorganic (minerals and trace elements) contributions to the total coal structure, with the overprint of coal rank. All this influences the behavior of coal in utilization, the coal by-products, the properties of coal as a reservoir for methane or a sequestration site for carbon dioxide, and the relationships of coal utilization with health and environmental issues. The interaction of coal properties and coal utilization begins at the mine face. The breakage of the coal in mining influences its subsequent beneficiation. Beneficiation is fundamental to the proper combustion of coal and is vital to the preparation of the feedstock for the production of metallurgical coke. An understanding of basic coal properties is important for achieving reductions in trace element emissions and improving the efficiency of combustion and combined-cycle gasification. The production of methane from coal beds is related to the properties of the in situ coal. Similarly, coal bed sequestration of carbon dioxide produced from combustion is dependent on the reservoir properties. Environmental problems accompany coal on its way from the mine to the point of utilization and beyond. Health aspects related with coal mining and coal utilization are also included because, in planning for coal use, it is impossible to separate environmental and health issues from the discussion of coal utilization. The book is aimed at a wide audience, ranging from researchers, lecturers and students to professionals in industry and discusses issues (such as the environmental, and health) that are of concern to the general public as a whole. This book focuses on the applications of coal (organic) petrology to our modern society It is an integrated approach to help the reader appreciate the importance of coal quality and coal utilization. Coal composition (macerals, mineral, trace elements) and the overprint of coal rank are treated together The book synthesises all the possibilities of the organic petrology as a tool for coal utilization in conventional applications (mining and beneficiation, coal combustion, gasification, liquefaction, carbonization), as a precursor of carbon materials and as a petroleum source and reservoir rock The role of applied petrology in the characterization of solid by-products from coal utilization is also discussed In addition, this book describes the present status of environmental and health problems linked to coal utilization and the ways in which such problems might be overcome in the future

''Organic Petrology'' is a new book, but one with antecedents. It is rooted in the famous ''Stach''s Textbook of Coal Petrology'''' (1975) and its predecessor ''Stach''s Lehrbuch der Kohlenpetrologie'''' (1935) but has been completely revised and expanded in order to incorporate a huge amount of new data obtained in the two decades since the publication of the 3rd edition of Stach. ''Organic Petrology'' now covers the whole field of the petrology of organic material in rocks. The book addresses researchers, undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate students, people concerned with the assessment, mining and use of coal and oil shales, and exploration workers interested in the occurrence and the evaluation of petroleum and natural gas and their source rocks.

Coal, Oil Shale, Natural Bitumen, Heavy Oil and Peat is a component of Encyclopedia of Energy Sciences, Engineering and Technology Resources in the global Encyclopedia of Life Support Systems (EOLSS), which is an integrated compendium of twenty one Encyclopedias. The Theme on Coal, Oil Shale, Natural Bitumen, Heavy Oil and Peat with contributions from distinguished experts in the field discusses matters of great relevance to our world such as: Coal, Oil Shale, Natural Bitumen, Heavy Oil and Peat; Coal Geology and Geochemistry; Coal Technology; Oil Shale; Natural Bitumen (Tar Sands) and Heavy Oil; Peat and Peatland. These two volumes are aimed at the following five major target audiences: University and College students Educators, Professional practitioners, Research personnel and Policy analysts, managers, and decision makers and NGOs.

Coal Science, Volume 2 presents and evaluates the fundamental scientific areas involved with the structure, reactivity, and utilization of coal. This book reviews the coal's inorganic structure and reactivity and the role that ionic bonding plays in coal's chemical and physical structure and reactivity. Organized into four chapters, this volume begins with an overview of the area of mineral matter in coal and a critical survey of many specific aspects that are most intriguing scientifically. This text then examines the role of the solvent in the initial stage of coal liquefaction. Other chapters consider the primary products of decomposed plant matter, which are transformed into the various ranks of coals through a series of evolutionary changes. The final chapter deals with solvent extraction, which is the most commonly used methods for studying the chemical properties of coal. This book is a valuable resource for chemists, engineers, and research workers.