Coal Tar and Coal Gas

By now, we already know about coal but coal is further filtered into Coal Tar, Coal Gas and Coke. But what is a coal gas? And what is coal tar? Let’s find out more about them below.

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Coal Tar

Coal tar is a thick black liquid which is a by-product of the production of coal gas and coke. It contains benzene, naphthalene, phenols, aniline, and many other organic chemicals. Coal tar is used for medical and industrial purposes. However, coal is also known as cutar, balnetar, liquor carbonis detergens, liquor picis carbonis, etc.

Uses of Coal tar

The following are the uses of coal tar :

• Coal tar is used as the medication to heal itching, scaling, and flaking due skin conditions.
• It is also used in making medicated shampoo to treat dandruff and to kill lice.
• Soaps are made from coal tar.
• Various phenolic coal tars have the properties of a painkiller.
• Coal tar is used to protect and beautify the underlying pavement.
• Coal is also used to make parking lot seal – coat products.
• Roads are made with the use of coal tar.
• Coal tar is flammable in nature. Hence, it is used for heating.
• Binders used in graphite industry to make green blocks have coal tar in them.
• Manufacture paints, synthetic dyes, and photographic materials contain coal tar.

Properties of Coal Tar

The following are the properties of coal tar :

• Coal tar is black in color.
• It’s a semi-solid and semi-liquid in nature and is less permeable.
• Its density is very thick and It has a peculiar smell.
• Tar is insoluble in nature which means that it can’t dissolve in water.
• It has a boiling point of two hundred to two hundred and fifty-degree celsius.
• Its a fuel resistant and has more temperature susceptible than asphalt cement.

Coal Gas

Coal gas is a mixture of gases i.e. hydrogen, methane, carbon monoxide and volatile hydrocarbons procured by the destructive distillation of coal. It is a flammable gas and is made from coal which supplied via a piped system and is obtained from coal in the absence of air and contains nitrogen and carbon dioxide.

Uses of coal gas

The following are the uses of coal gas:

• Coal gas is used in lighting.
• The gas is also used for heating.
• Most often than not many people use this gas for cooking.
• It is used as a fuel
• Coal gas is also used as an illuminant.

Formation of Coal Gas

Coal gas is procured from the distillation of soft coal and is a by-product of coke. It does not have any fixed composition. Most of the coal gas consists of hydrogen and methane with small amounts of other hydrocarbons, carbon monoxide (a poisonous gas), carbon dioxide, and nitrogen.

Solved Example For You

Q. Which of the following disease is cured by coal tar?

1.  It is used to treat itching or scaling of the skin.
2. It is used to cure diarrhoea.
3. Coal Tar can heal deep wounds.
4. Fever and cold are treated with the help of coal tar.

Sol: Coal tar is used to treat itching or scaling of the skin. It is also used to get rid of hair problems such as dandruff and lice.