The Chemistry and Technology of Coal

The demand for coal use (for electricity generation) and coal products, particularly liquid fuels and chemical feedstocks, is increasing throughout the world. Traditional markets such as North America and Europe are experiencing a steady increase in demand whereas emerging Asian markets, such as India and China, are witnessing a rapid surge in demand for clean liquid fuels.

A detailed and comprehensive overview of the chemistry and technology of coal in the twenty-first century, The Chemistry and Technology of Coal, Third Edition also covers the relationship of coal industry processes with environmental regulations as well as the effects of combustion products on the atmosphere.

Maintaining and enhancing the clarity of presentation that made the previous editions so popular, this book:

• Examines the effects of combustion products on the atmosphere
• Details practical elements of coal evaluation procedures
• Clarifies misconceptions concerning the organic structure of coal
• Discusses the physical, thermal, electrical, and mechanical properties of coal
• Analyzes the development and current status of combustion and gasification techniques

In addition to two new chapters, Coal Use and the Environment and Coal and Energy Security, much of the material in this edition been rewritten to incorporate the latest developments in the coal industry. Citations from review articles, patents, other books, and technical articles with substantial introductory material are incorporated into the text for further reference.

The Chemistry and Technology of Coal, Third Edition maintains its initial premise: to introduce the science of coal, beginning with its formation in the ground to the production of a wide variety of products and petrochemical intermediates in the twenty-first century. The book will prove useful for scientists and engineers already engaged in the coal and/or catalyst manufacturing industry looking for a general overview or update on the clean coal technology as well as professional researchers and students in chemistry and engineering.

Dr. James G. Speight is a senior fuel and environmental consultant with more than 45 years of experience in thermal/process chemistry, thermodynamics, refining of petroleum, heavy oil, and tar sand bitumen, and physics of crude with emphasis on distillation, visbreaking, coking units, and oil-rock or oil catalyst interactions. He earned B.Sc. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Manchester, England. He is the author of more than 45 books in petroleum science, petroleum engineering, and environmental sciences and has considerable expertise in evaluating new technologies for patentability and commercial application.
Although his career was focused predominantly in the commercial world, Dr. Speight has served as Adjunct Professor in the Department of Chemical and Fuels Engineering at the University of Utah and in the Departments of Chemistry and Chemical and Petroleum Engineering at the University of Wyoming. In addition he was a Visiting Professor in Chemical Engineering at the following universities: the University of Missouri-Columbia, the Technical University of Denmark, and the University of Trinidad and Tobago.
He is recognized internationally as an expert in the characterization, properties, and processing of conventional and synthetic fuels and as a chemist with more than Speight is currently Editor-in-Chief for the Journal of Petroleum Science and Technology (Taylor & Francis Publishers), Energy Sources-Part A: Recovery, Utilization, and Environmental Effects (Taylor & Francis Publishers), Energy Sources-Part B: Economics, Planning, and Policy (Taylor & Francis Publishers), and Journal of Sustainable Energy Engineering (Scrivener publishing).
As a result of his work, he was awarded the Diploma of Honor, National Petroleum Engineering Society, for outstanding contributions to the petroleum industry in 1995 and the Gold Medal of Russian Academy of Sciences (Natural) for outstanding work in the area of petroleum science in 1996. He has also received the Specialist Invitation Program Speakers Award from NEDO (New Energy Development Organization, Government of Japan) in 1987 and again in 1996 for his contributions to coal research. In 2001, he was also awarded the Einstein Medal of the Russian Academy of Sciences in recognition of outstanding contributions and service in the field of geologic sciences. In 2005 he has been awarded the Gold Medal-Scientists without Frontiers, Russian Academy of Sciences in recognition of continuous encouragement of scientists to work together across international borders. More recently (2012) he was awarded a Doctorate in Petroleum Engineering from Dubna University (Moscow, Russia) for his outstanding contributions in the field of petroleum engineering.