You won't believe what activated charcoal can do for you. This information will surprise you! Facts about coal: familiar but unknown material Interesting facts about coal

In Russia, industrial coal mining began in the 15th century. In Ukraine, in the Donbass, coal was discovered in the 17th century and began to be mined in the 19th century. Coal is used for various purposes: heating homes, generating energy, cooking. These days, coal has become less popular due to environmental concerns. Due to the low cost of coal production, it will be in demand for many decades to come. Here are some interesting facts about coal.

Geology

The formation of coal rocks occurs from the remains of plants in swamps. Due to the lack of oxygen, the plants did not decompose. Thus, plant masses were converted into peat - the basic raw material for the further formation of coal. The peat, under the pressure of the rocks that formed above it, was compressed and turned into coal.

From a layer of peat 20 meters thick, under the pressure of sedimentary layers, a 4-meter layer of brown coal is formed. At a depth of three kilometers, a 20-meter-thick layer of peat transforms into a 2-meter-thick layer of coal. At a depth of about 6 kilometers, the same 20 m layer of peat turns into a layer of the hardest and highest quality coal - anthracite, no more than 1.5 m thick. The miner's profession is quite dangerous. In coal mines, various types of gas are released and accumulated, the most dangerous of which is methane. This gas makes the air explosive. Today, when mining coal, special indicators are used in mines to monitor methane levels. In the absence of such safety measures, canaries were used. These birds, sensitive to the presence of methane gas, were taken with them into the mine and as soon as they became ill, people rose to the surface.

In ancient times, methane was burned off in mines using long sticks with torches at the ends. People who burned methane to avoid burns were dressed in wet clothes, and still this did not always save them; they received burns and often died in mines from methane explosions.

Interesting information

The first place in deposits of this mineral belongs to the United States, where there are more than 237 billion tons of hard and brown coal. This represents a quarter of the world's total reserves. Russia is in second place in terms of this indicator and contains 18% of the reserves of this raw material.

Thanks to modern technologies, coal can be turned from a solid form into a liquid state, reminiscent of oil in its characteristics. The Germans produced gasoline from coal during World War II (when they had no access to oil fields). Such production of fuel is expensive; it is cheaper to produce gasoline from oil.

Every year, fire destroys approximately 2 million tons of coal. The longest fire in the Liuhuangou coal field in China could not be extinguished for 130 years. The fire was only brought under control in 2004.

In the 30s of the 20th century, one of the Japanese islands was the most densely populated place on the earth's surface. More than 5 thousand people lived on Hashima Island with a coastline of 1 kilometer. They all mined coal. After the island's coal reserves completely dried up in 1974, every single person left the island. Today the city of Hashima is a tourist destination. A ghost town greets travelers with abandoned buildings.

Ordos is the largest ghost town in China. It was built 20 years ago in Inner Mongolia near coal deposits. Multi-storey buildings were built that could accommodate 1 million inhabitants. But there was little coal and now the city has about 50 thousand inhabitants. Despite the fact that most of the houses are empty, there is public transport in the city and shops are open. In China, there is a program for relocating people from villages to cities, and in the coming decades the city is planned to be filled with residents who will move here from the villages.

In 2010, the longest traffic jam in the world was recorded on a Chinese highway and it was associated with the delivery of coal from the province to the Chinese capital. Drivers caught in traffic jams had to cover a 100 km section over 5 days.

Man has been using coal as fuel since ancient times. Since its invention, it has been used for a variety of purposes. This included both food preparation and industrial production. Coal made it possible to make steel. There are many interesting facts associated with coal, and its role in our lives is colossal.

The formation of coal in the bowels of the earth is a very long process. This has a lot in common with oil. Coal is formed from dead plants that, for one reason or another, ended up underground. Here, without oxygen, they did not rot, and their remains did not lose the carbon they contained - the basis of coal. Then, over the course of millions of years, under the influence of a variety of factors, these remains turned into peat, and from it into coal. And the further process leads to the formation of graphite.

Before delving into interesting facts about mining technology and interesting situations related to coal, let's talk about the coals needed for cooking:

In general, the main difference between Japanese cuisine and European cuisine is the dominance of seafood. They are used everywhere. And even for kebabs, which the Japanese call “tempora”. True, they do not very often use coal for their preparation. It is believed that it is able to absorb odors and then release them to the prepared dish. Open fires are generally preferred to coal. In addition, ginger is often used, which also eliminates odors.

In North Africa, French-speaking countries like to use dry bushes and other small plants. There is a desert here and there are no large trees. Coals are made, for example, from saxaul. They turn out hot and have a specific aroma.

In Russia, it is more common to use coal for barbecue in briquettes. Personally, I can recommend the company "Good Coal", which specializes in the production of coal for hookahs and barbecues of the highest quality.

Coal mines are quite dangerous places. They release various gases. Methane is especially dangerous. It displaces some of the oxygen and makes the air explosive. In the past, when methane indicators did not exist, canaries were used. They were taken into the mine with them, and if the birds became ill, this meant that methane had accumulated in the mine.

Among other dangers, fires in mines stand out. As in the case of burning peat, they can last quite a long time. A record-breaking fire occurred at the Liuhuangou oil field in China. It took 130 years to eliminate it, and it was finally extinguished only in 2004. About 260 million tons of coal were destroyed.

There are many funny situations associated with coal and its deposits. Treasures were often found in it. So in 1891, a certain Mrs. Culp was lucky when she found an old gold chain in a large piece of coal. Coal holds many ancient artifacts. Miners have repeatedly found the remains of ancient structures. As, for example, in the American town of Hammondville, where in 1869 the remains of a wall with hieroglyphs were found.

Coal continues to play a big role in the lives of people and even entire cities. It is interesting to trace the fate of the Japanese city of Hashima, located on the island of the same name, which was once rich in coal. Since the 1930s, this city has long been considered the most populous in the world. The island had a coastline of only 1 km, but its population was more than 5 thousand people. But by the mid-70s, coal ran out here. People began to leave this place. The city became completely abandoned. Now they even conduct extreme excursions there.

Coal is the remains of plants that died many millions of years ago, the decay of which was interrupted as a result of the loss of air supply. Therefore, they could not release the carbon taken from it into the atmosphere. The access of air ceased especially abruptly where swamps and swampy forests sank as a result of tectonic movements and changes in climatic conditions and were covered with other substances. At the same time, plant remains were transformed under the influence of bacteria and fungi (carbonized) into peat and further into brown, stone, anthracite and graphite.

Coal became the first fossil fuel used by humans. The use of coal in the modern world is diverse. It is used to obtain electrical energy (energy), as a raw material for the metallurgical (coking) and chemical industries, for the production of rare and trace elements, and for the production of graphite.

Mining in Russia began in the second half of the 15th century under the Grand Duke of Moscow Ivan III. In 1491, the first Russian expedition went to the Pechora region to look for minerals. This expedition discovered deposits of silver and copper ores on the Tsilma River, a copper mine was built, and Russia began minting coins from its own metal.

The total geological (forecast) coal reserves in Russia are 4 trillion tons, which is 30% of the world's coal reserves. Explored (balance) reserves are estimated at 190 billion tons. The volume of production is limited by the total production capacity of mining enterprises.

Combustion (hydrogenation) of coal to form liquid fuel is promising. To produce 1 ton of oil, 2-3 tons of coal are consumed. Artificial graphite is obtained from coal. They are used as inorganic raw materials. When processing hard coal, vanadium, germanium, sulfur, gallium, molybdenum, zinc, and lead are extracted from it on an industrial scale. Ash from coal combustion, mining and processing wastes are used in the production of building materials, ceramics, refractory raw materials, alumina, and abrasives. In order to optimally use coal, it is enriched (removing mineral impurities).

Canaries are very sensitive to the methane content in the air. This feature was once used by miners who, going underground, took with them a cage with a canary. If singing had not been heard for a long time, then it was necessary to quickly go upstairs.

The age of the oldest coals is estimated at approximately 300-400 million years.

In the past, many aromatic components were extracted from coal.

The Japanese used it to make the famous samurai swords.

Mining began in one of the Dutch mines back in 1113. This mine is still in operation, and until recently it was where a very significant part of Dutch coal was mined.

In the Chinese Liuhuangou Coal Field, which lasted more than 130 years. The flames consumed about 2 million tons of coal annually.

Since the 1930s, Hashima Island has become the most densely populated place on Earth. Over 5 thousand people lived on an area with a coastline of about 1 kilometer who were engaged in coal mining. However, by 1974, absolutely all the inhabitants left the island due to the fact that coal on the island had completely run out. Currently, Hashima is a ghost town with abandoned buildings, and only a part of the island that is safe for visiting is open to tourists.

In 2010, the largest traffic jam on the planet was recorded on China's National Highway 110. Drivers reported that they covered the 100-kilometer stretch over 5 days, and the traffic jam lasted from August 14 to 25. The traffic jam was caused by a sharp increase in the number of trucks transporting coal from Inner Mongolia province to the Chinese capital.

Back in 1960, coal accounted for 1/2 of all energy produced, and already in 1970 its share dropped to 1/3.

The hardest and highest quality coal is anthracite. It has a metallic luster and has been known to people since ancient times. The main anthracite reserves are in Russia and China (more than 6 million tons of coal), and in China the development is very widespread and there will be enough coal for about 20-25 years. In Russia, anthracite will last for 275 years.

How is coal formed?

The ideal place for the formation of coal is where stagnant water, depleted, prevents the activity of bacteria, preserving a significant part of the plant mass from complete decomposition. At one stage, acids are released that prevent further bacterial activity. This is how the initial product for the formation of coal arises. If it is later buried under other sediments, the peat undergoes compression, losing water and gases, transforming into coal.

The layering of sediment creates pressure. Thus, under the influence of mass pressure, a layer of brown coal 4 meters thick is formed from a 20-meter layer of peat. If the depth of burial of plant material increases to 3 kilometers, then the same layer of peat will form into a layer of coal 2 meters thick. At greater depths, about 6 kilometers, and at higher temperatures, a 20-meter layer of peat becomes a layer of anthracite only 1.5 meters thick.

We all have gas. The average person passes gas 14 times a day - this is completely normal. But if you suffer from flatulence or painful bloating, activated charcoal will help you! Research shows that when activated charcoal is taken before meals, the volume of intestinal gases is significantly reduced.

2. Lower cholesterol levels

High cholesterol doubles your risk of heart disease. One study found that people who took 8 grams of activated charcoal three times a day for a month saw their levels of “bad” LDL cholesterol drop by 41% and their “good” HDL cholesterol levels increase by 8%!

3. Maintain Kidney Health

Every day, your kidneys clean approximately 115-140 liters of blood, ultimately producing 1-2 liters of urine, which consists of waste and excess fluid. Combined with the liver, the kidneys represent the most advanced cleansing system in nature.

However, eating sugar, salt, animal proteins, fats and preservatives can lead to kidney disease and failure. Because activated charcoal removes urea and other urinary toxins, it helps keep the kidneys healthy.

4. Quick treatment of food poisoning

Food poisoning is very common, with 48 million cases reported annually in the United States alone! One way to protect yourself from vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain and lost days that inevitably follow severe poisoning is to take activated charcoal at the first symptoms. Activated carbon is recommended for poisoning as it quickly neutralizes toxins.

5. The secret to soft skin

Dirt and oil clog the pores on your facial skin and age your appearance, and many cleansers contain harmful chemicals. Activated charcoal, like a magnet, pulls dirt and oil out of your pores, leaving your skin clean and soft!

6. Luxurious hair

The same toxins, dirt and oil that pollute your skin also damage your hair, giving it an unpleasant, greasy appearance. Activated carbon cleanses hair follicles, giving them shine and silkiness! And unlike shampoos, which are entirely made up of environmentally harmful chemicals, activated carbon is a 100% natural, environmentally friendly product.

7. Teeth whitening

Do you want to have a Hollywood smile without spending on expensive teeth whitening procedures? It is enough to sprinkle your toothbrush with activated carbon 2-3 times a week! Activated carbon cleans tooth enamel by adsorbing microscopic particles that make up plaque.

8. Pleasant breath

Are you bothered by bad breath? Activated carbon will come to the rescue here too! This is not only an effective deodorizing agent, but also a way to normalize the acid-base balance in the oral cavity, which protects teeth and gums from bacteria and diseases!

Brush your teeth with activated charcoal (don't worry, it's tasteless), and don't be put off by the black color - it rinses out without a trace!

9. Prevention of premature aging

Activated carbon promotes rejuvenation not only because it gives you youthful skin, gorgeous curls and a white-toothed smile.

It has been proven that regular use of activated carbon removes toxins and waste from the body that harm organs, destroy cells and accelerate the aging of the body. It's no wonder that even Gwyneth Paltrow loves to talk about the benefits of activated charcoal!

10. Preventing a hangover

Did you have too much to drink the night before? Everyone probably knows the heavy feeling the day after a heavy drinking session. But there is a great way to avoid headaches, nausea and general hangover weakness: take activated charcoal before drinking!

Although it does not bind to alcohol, it binds perfectly and removes many by-products of fermentation - which means that in the morning you will wake up fresh, alert and alive!

11. Cleansing the digestive system

Pesticides in vegetables and fruits, growth hormones in meat, chemicals in drinking water - we live in extremely toxic conditions. When all this crap accumulates in your digestive system, it causes inflammation and leaves you feeling drained.

For good health and well-being, it is necessary to regularly cleanse the digestive system.

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