Here at The Healthy Living and Fitness, we want our readers to recognise the importance of lung health and how bad habits like smoking can lead to serious problems later in life. With this said, the quality of our air continues to decline each year due to the industrial combustion of fuels like coal. In fact, the government recently announced its plan to ban the domestic use of traditional bituminous coal in 2022 in order to target growing concerns regarding climate change. Luckily, anthracite will remain available. Read on as we go over some of the health benefits of burning anthracite coal…
What is anthracite?
As the oldest variety of coal, anthracite is found deep within the earth and has a glossy black appearance. After all, the fossil fuel is created during a process known as coalification where dead vegetative matters from millions of years ago is subjected to intense heat and pressure over an extensive period of time. Anthracite is known for being hard and brittle because it has been under these conditions for 300-350 million years!
Naturally Smokeless
One of the most notable characteristics of anthracite is its high carbon content of around 98%. After all, the heat and pressure of coalification removes moisture from the fossil fuel and this explains why peat, the youngest form of coal, is incredibly moist in comparison to anthracite. As a result of this high-carbon content, anthracite produces little to no smoke when it is burned and is known as a ‘naturally smokeless’ fuel which makes it popular in Smoke Control Zones where bituminous coal is banned.
Low Volatile Materials
The high-carbon content of anthracite also means that is does not contain many volatile materials like sulphur. After all, the burning of bituminous coal is thought to contribute to global warming fears and the increase of acid rain because sulphur dioxide combines with the moisture in the air when it is released into the atmosphere. Luckily, anthracite is an eco-friendly and health conscious fuel for domestic applications.
Although the future of domestic burning may be impacted by the governments plans to crack down on bituminous coal, anthracite is a popular alternative due to its naturally smokeless qualities and ability to improve our air-quality. To find out more information, get in contact with the best coal merchants on the market at Pearson Fuels today!