Carbochemistry is the branch of chemistry that studies the transformation of

coal Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock, formed as rock strata called coal seams. Coal is mostly carbon with variable amounts of other elements, chiefly hydrogen, sulfur, oxygen, and nitrogen. Coal is formed when ...

-( bituminous coal,

coal tar Coal tar is a thick dark liquid which is a by-product of the production of coke and coal gas from coal. It is a type of creosote. It has both medical and industrial uses. Medicinally it is a topical medication applied to skin to treat psorias ...

, anthracite, lignite,

graphite Graphite () is a crystalline form of the element carbon. It consists of stacked layers of graphene. Graphite occurs naturally and is the most stable form of carbon under standard conditions. Synthetic and natural graphite are consumed on lar ...

, and charcoal) into useful products and raw materials. The processes that are used in carbochemistry include

degasification Degassing, also known as degasification, is the removal of dissolved gases from liquids, especially water or aqueous solutions. There are numerous methods for removing gases from liquids. Gases are removed for various reasons. Chemists remove ga ...

processes such as

carbonization Carbonization is the conversion of organic matters like plants and dead animal remains into carbon through destructive distillation. Complexity in carbonization Carbonization is a pyrolytic reaction, therefore, is considered a complex proces ...

and

coking Coking is the heating of coal in the absence of oxygen to a temperature above 600 °C to drive off the volatile components of the raw coal, leaving a hard, strong, porous material of high carbon content called coke. Coke consists almost ent ...

, gasification processes, and liquefaction processes.

History

The beginning of carbochemistry goes back to the 16th century. At that time, large quantities of charcoal were needed for the smelting of iron ores. Since the production of charcoal required large amounts of slowly-regenerating wood, the use of coal was studied. The use of pure coal was difficult because of the amount of liquid and solid by-products that were generated. In order to improve the handling the coal was initially treated as wood in kilns to produce coke. Around 1684, John Clayton discovered that coal gas generated from coal was combustible. He described his discovery in the ''

Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society ''Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society'' is a scientific journal published by the Royal Society. In its earliest days, it was a private venture of the Royal Society's secretary. It was established in 1665, making it the first journa ...

''.Walter T. Layton: ''The Discoverer of Gas Lighting: Notes on the Life and Work of the Rev. John Clayton, D.D., 1657–1725.'' London, 1926

History

References

See also