Bituminous Coal

Bituminous coal is burned for steel production rather than electricity production. The procedure to produce steal from bituminous coal uses metallurgical coke, a purified form of coal that is burned in blast furnaces.

The name of bituminous coal comes from the word "bitumen," which is the remaining tar after fuel distillation.

Bituminous coal was formed from ancient tropical swamps 300 million years ago and is mined today in locations that include the coal seams of the Appalachian Basin in West Virginia.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has conducted extensive studies regarding coal assessment and coal research in the Appalachian Basin [1,2]. Mined coal is then transported to coal ports for consumption and distribution, including Curtis Bay (Baltimore, MD) and Hampton Roads (Newport News & Norfolk, VA). Coal dust pollution (<100μm grain size) is one of the consequences of coal mining and dissipation, especially in neighborhoods in Newport News with pre-existing historically industrial activities (i.e., shipbuilding, aerospace, fishing, etc.)

Bituminous coal, therefore, belongs to a higher coal rank and was formed from ancient tropical swamps 300 million years ago.

Documents

• Milici et al., Bituminous Coal Production in the Appalachian Basin: Past, Present, and Future, Chapter D.3 of Coal and Petroleum Resources in the Appalachian Basin: Distribution, Geologic Framework, and Geochemical Character, Edited by Ruppert and Ryder, Professional Paper 1708-D.3, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 2014
• Coal Assessments and Coal Research in the Appalachian Basin, Chapter D.4 of Coal and Petroleum Resources in the Appalachian Basin: Distribution, Geologic Framework, and Geochemical Character, Edited by Ruppert and Ryder, Professional Paper 1708-D.4, U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey, 2014