Lignite is blackish brown in color having 25 to 35 % carbon content. It is usually formed from naturally compressed peat. Peat is measured the lowest level of coal due to its low heat content. It is mined in Bulgaria, Kosovo Greece, Germany, Poland, Serbia, Russia, United states, Canada, India, Australia and many other parts of Europe. According to coal classification Lignite is in between peat and sub bituminous coal and first by product as a result of coalification.
Types
Lignite can be divided into two types.
· The first is xyloid lignite or fossil wood.
· The second form is the solid lignite or perfect lignite.
It has been expected that nearly half of the world’s total proven coal reserves are made up of lignite and sub bituminous coal. Many lignite beds lie close to the surface and are of great thickness. It requires special care in storing, is uneconomical to transport over long distances, and is subject to spontaneous combustion. Schemes for increasing the use of lignite have received attention in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and elsewhere. The fuel is used primarily by local utilities and industries and by domestic consumers close to the mine sites.
Use of Lignite
· Lignite is used in power generation.
· The Lignite Energy Council reports that 79 percent of lignite is used to generate electricity.
· 13.5 percent is used to generate synthetic natural gas and 7.5 percent is used to create fertilizer products like anhydrous ammonia and ammonium sulfate. A small percentage is used as home heating fuel, as standalone fertilizer and as oil well drilling mud.
· Reaction with quaternary amine forms a product called amine-treated lignite (ATL), which is used in drilling mud to reduce fluid loss during drilling.
Mining of lignite
Germany was the world’s top lignite producer in 2012, the World Coal Association states. Altogether, the country put out 185 million metric tons (MT) of the fuel that year; a quarter of its electricity comes from lignite-fired power plants. Trailing behind in second place, Russia produced 78 million MT, while Australia and the US mined 73 and 72 million MT, respectively.
Types
Lignite can be divided into two types.
· The first is xyloid lignite or fossil wood.
· The second form is the solid lignite or perfect lignite.
It has been expected that nearly half of the world’s total proven coal reserves are made up of lignite and sub bituminous coal. Many lignite beds lie close to the surface and are of great thickness. It requires special care in storing, is uneconomical to transport over long distances, and is subject to spontaneous combustion. Schemes for increasing the use of lignite have received attention in Australia, New Zealand, Canada, the United States, and elsewhere. The fuel is used primarily by local utilities and industries and by domestic consumers close to the mine sites.
Use of Lignite
· Lignite is used in power generation.
· The Lignite Energy Council reports that 79 percent of lignite is used to generate electricity.
· 13.5 percent is used to generate synthetic natural gas and 7.5 percent is used to create fertilizer products like anhydrous ammonia and ammonium sulfate. A small percentage is used as home heating fuel, as standalone fertilizer and as oil well drilling mud.
· Reaction with quaternary amine forms a product called amine-treated lignite (ATL), which is used in drilling mud to reduce fluid loss during drilling.
Mining of lignite
Germany was the world’s top lignite producer in 2012, the World Coal Association states. Altogether, the country put out 185 million metric tons (MT) of the fuel that year; a quarter of its electricity comes from lignite-fired power plants. Trailing behind in second place, Russia produced 78 million MT, while Australia and the US mined 73 and 72 million MT, respectively.