Coal
Coal fueled the Industrial Revolution in Europe and North America. coal formed over many millions of years from the decayed of plant life in ancient time. It is often thought of as being made up of carbon, but the composition of coal is complex, containing thousands of simple and complex compounds. Primarily hydrocarbons, these compounds include many cyclic aromatic and other unsaturated molecules. According to the U.S. Energy Information Administration , in 1999, 1726 U.S. mines produced 1.1 billion tons of coal, about 24% of the world’s output. Well over 75% of mined coal is burned to supply electricity. In the United States alone, the 474 billion tons of available coal represent an estimated 265-year supply.
Modern organic chemistry was first supported by government and industry in Germany in the late 19th century when the manufacture of synthetic dyes was perfected. Many of these were based on coal tar, the black gooey stuff obtained when coal is heated in steam in the absence of air. The products of this are coal gas, nearly pure carbon called “coke,” and coal ter. A balanced equation cannot be written because none of these are pure compounds. Coal gas is a mixture of mostly hydrogen (H2), methane (CH4), and carbon monoxide (CO) and is used as a gaseous fuel. Its use in home heating and cooking almost stopped when supplies of methane (natural gas) were discovered and made available. Coke is the carbon source used instead of charcoal in the modern production of iron from iron ore.