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Coal dust is a fine powdered
Powder (substance)

A powder is a dry, bulk solid composed of a large number of very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms powder and granular are sometimes used to distinguish separate classes of material....
 form of coal
Coal

Coal is a readily combustion black or brownish-black sedimentary rock. The harder forms, such as anthracite, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure....
, which is created by the crushing, grinding, or pulverizing of coal. Because of the brittle
Brittle

A material is brittle if it is liable to fracture when subjected to stress . That is, it has little tendency to deform before fracture. This fracture absorbs relatively little energy, even in materials of high Strength of materials, and usually makes a snapping sound....
 nature of coal, coal dust can be created during mining
Mining

Mining is the extraction of value minerals or other geology materials from the earth, usually from an ore body, vein or seam. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, Sodium chloride and potash....
, transportation, or by mechanically handling coal.

dust suspended in air
AIR

Air is the part of Earth's atmosphere that humans breath and as such Air .Air may also refer to:...
 is explosive. Coal dust has far more surface area
Surface area

Surface area is how much exposed area an object has. It is expressed in square units. If an object has flat Face , its surface area can be calculated by adding together the areas of its faces....
 per unit weight
Weight

In the physical sciences, weight is a measurement of the gravitational force acting on an object. Near the surface of the Earth, the Earth's gravity is approximately constant; this means that an object's weight is roughly proportional to its mass....
 than chunks of coal, and is more susceptible to spontaneous combustion
Spontaneous combustion

Spontaneous combustion may refer to:* Spontaneous combustion, the self-ignition of a mass, for example, a pile of oily rags.* Spontaneous Combustion , a 2007 album by Liquid Trio Experiment...
.






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Coal dust is a fine powdered
Powder (substance)

A powder is a dry, bulk solid composed of a large number of very fine particles that may flow freely when shaken or tilted. Powders are a special sub-class of granular materials, although the terms powder and granular are sometimes used to distinguish separate classes of material....
 form of coal
Coal

Coal is a readily combustion black or brownish-black sedimentary rock. The harder forms, such as anthracite, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure....
, which is created by the crushing, grinding, or pulverizing of coal. Because of the brittle
Brittle

A material is brittle if it is liable to fracture when subjected to stress . That is, it has little tendency to deform before fracture. This fracture absorbs relatively little energy, even in materials of high Strength of materials, and usually makes a snapping sound....
 nature of coal, coal dust can be created during mining
Mining

Mining is the extraction of value minerals or other geology materials from the earth, usually from an ore body, vein or seam. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, Sodium chloride and potash....
, transportation, or by mechanically handling coal.

Risks


Explosions

Coal dust suspended in air
AIR

Air is the part of Earth's atmosphere that humans breath and as such Air .Air may also refer to:...
 is explosive. Coal dust has far more surface area
Surface area

Surface area is how much exposed area an object has. It is expressed in square units. If an object has flat Face , its surface area can be calculated by adding together the areas of its faces....
 per unit weight
Weight

In the physical sciences, weight is a measurement of the gravitational force acting on an object. Near the surface of the Earth, the Earth's gravity is approximately constant; this means that an object's weight is roughly proportional to its mass....
 than chunks of coal, and is more susceptible to spontaneous combustion
Spontaneous combustion

Spontaneous combustion may refer to:* Spontaneous combustion, the self-ignition of a mass, for example, a pile of oily rags.* Spontaneous Combustion , a 2007 album by Liquid Trio Experiment...
. As a result, a nearly empty coal store is a greater explosion risk
Risk

Risk is a concept that denotes the precise probability of specific eventualities. Technically, the notion of risk is independent from the notion of value and, as such, eventualities may have both beneficial and adverse consequences....
 than a full one. The worst mining accident
Mining accident

A mining accident is an accident that occurs in the process of mining minerals.Thousands of miners die from mining accidents each year, especially in the process of coal mining and Underground mining ....
s in history have been caused by coal dust explosion
Dust explosion

A dust explosion is the explosive combustion of a dust suspended in air in an enclosed location, which results in harmful effects of overpressure, thermal radiation, and ensuing projectiles....
s, such as the disaster at Senghenydd
Senghenydd Colliery Disaster

The Senghenydd Colliery Disaster, also known as the Senghenydd Explosion, occurred in Senghenydd , near Caerphilly, Glamorgan, South Wales on 14 October 1913, killing 439 miners....
 in South Wales
South Wales

South Wales is an area of Wales bordered by England and the Bristol Channel to the east and south, and Mid Wales and West Wales to the north and west....
 in 1913. Such mining accident
Mining accident

A mining accident is an accident that occurs in the process of mining minerals.Thousands of miners die from mining accidents each year, especially in the process of coal mining and Underground mining ....
s were usually initiated by firedamp
Firedamp

Firedamp is a flammable gas found in coal mining. It is actually the name given to a number of flammable gases, including methane. It is particularly commonly found in areas where the coal is Bituminous coal....
 ignitions, the shock wave
Shock wave

A shock wave is a type of propagating disturbance. Like an ordinary wave, it carries energy and can propagate through a medium or in some cases in the absence of a material medium, through a field such as the electromagnetic field....
 of which raised dust from the floor of the mine galleries to make an explosive mixture. The problem was investigated by Michael Faraday
Michael Faraday

Michael Faraday, Fellow of the Royal Society was an English chemist and physicist who contributed to the fields of electromagnetism and electrochemistry....
 and Charles Lyell
Charles Lyell

Sir Charles Lyell, 1st Baronet, Order of the Thistle, Fellow of the Royal Society was a Scotland lawyer, geologist, and protagonist of Uniformitarianism ....
 in the explosion at the colliery situated at Haswell County Durham of 1844, but their conclusions ignored at the time.

The Luisenthal Mine Disaster
Luisenthal Mine Disaster

The Luisenthal Mine was a coal mine in near V?lklingen, Germany...
 and the explosion
Explosion

An explosion is a sudden increase in volume and release of energy in an extreme manner, usually with the generation of high temperatures and the release of gases....
 at Benxihu Colliery
Benxihu Colliery

Benxihu Colliery , located at Benxi, Liaoning, China, was first mined in 1905, under the control of the Japanese. It was the location of the worst coal mining disaster in history....
 are two examples of this type of explosion caused by coal dust.

The main attempts at prevention include using safety lamp
Safety lamp

A safety lamp is any of several types of Light fixture, which are designed to be safe to use in coal mines. These lamps are designed to operate in air that may contain coal dust, methane, or firedamp, all of which are potentially flammable or explosive....
s, adding stone dust coffers to mine galleries, and watering workings.

Lung and skin problems

Coal workers' Pneumoconiosis
Pneumoconiosis

Pneumoconiosis is an occupational lung disease caused by the inhalation of dust....
, or black lung disease, is caused by inhaling
Inhalation

Inhalation is the movement of air from the external environment, through the air ways, and into the alveoli.Inhalation begins with the onset of contraction of the diaphragm , which results in expansion of the intrapleural space and an increase in negative pressure according to Boyle's Law....
 coal dust, typically dust produced in coal mining.

According to George Orwell
George Orwell

Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an England author. His work is marked by a profound consciousness of social injustice, an intense dislike of totalitarianism, and a passion for clarity in language....
, coal miners could develop characteristic tattoos owing to coal dust getting into wounds. This can also occur with substances like gunpowder.

Coal dust in energy generation

For use in thermal power plants, coal is ground into dust using a device called a powdered coal mill. The resulting product, called powdered coal or pulverized coal, is then generally used in a fossil fuel power plant
Fossil fuel power plant

A fossil-fuel power plant is a power stations that burns fossil fuels such as coal, natural gas or petroleum to produce electricity.Fossil-fuel power plants are designed on a large scale for continuous operation....
 for electricity generation
Electricity generation

Electricity generation is the process of converting non-electrical energy to electricity. For electric utility, it is the first process in the delivery of electricity to consumers....
. Pulverised coal is a significant dust explosion hazard, as large quantities are suspended in air for transfer from the mill to the power plant. Explosions have occurred when the flow drops and flames in the burning chamber pass back along the ductwork delivering fuel.

See also

  • Mining accidents
  • Pulverized coal-fired boiler
    Pulverized coal-fired boiler

    A pulverized coal-fired boiler is an industrial or utility boiler that generates thermal energy by burning pulverized coal . This type of boiler dominates the electric power industry, providing steam to drive large turbines....
  • Pulverised fuel firing
    Pulverised fuel firing

    Pulverised fuel firing is a solid fuel burning technique in which the fuel is pulverised before being ignited. It is the most common method of burning coal and oil shale for power generation....
  • Safety lamp
    Safety lamp

    A safety lamp is any of several types of Light fixture, which are designed to be safe to use in coal mines. These lamps are designed to operate in air that may contain coal dust, methane, or firedamp, all of which are potentially flammable or explosive....