As the oldest form of coal, anthracite has spent a lot of time deep underground, subjected to intense pressure and heat over the course of hundreds of thousands of years. Here at Pearson Fuels, we have decided that this type of coal is incredibly misunderstood. After all, it has a lot of potential! Read on as we go over everything you need to know about anthracite and how its unique properties make it the cleanest form of coal around…

Characteristics

With an incredibly high carbon content between 80-95% and a sulphur and nitrogen content at less than 1%, anthracite is the most environmentally friendly coal around. it also has a moisture content of 15% or below and due to its high density, it burns very slowly and can be troublesome to light. In terms of availability, anthracite is a scare variation of coal because it was heavily mined during the 19th and 20th century. Plus, it is deep in the earth so the remaining supplies have become difficult to mine.

Uses

Due to its low volatile matter of 5%, anthracite is a great smokeless fuel to use in smoke control areas that aim to reduce pollution. In fact, it is very brittle so it produces an incredibly hot blue flame when it is burned without letting off as much smoke as bituminous alternatives. Plus, it can burn much longer than wood which makes it a very efficient and cost effective fuel source.

Unique

When anthracite is burned, it does not expand and fuse together in order to create a material known as ‘coke’. This means that is it considered a ‘free burning’ type of coal which is incredibly unique. In addition to this, anthracite has an impressive carbon content which can also be used in steel making by smelting together the fossil fuel with iron ore.

Known as ‘hard coal’, anthracite is the fossil fuel that people tend to forget about. After all, its shiny surface is overshadowed by the abundance of bituminous ‘house’ coal. Perhaps the best thing about anthracite is its low sulphur content which makes it incredibly clean-burning. In fact, we even stock it as a smokeless coal here at Pearson Fuels! To find out more information about anthracite, get in contact with a member of the team today!