coarse coal

Written by

The Information Architects of Encyclopaedia Britannica

Last updated

June 24, 2026

Quick Summary

"Block coal" refers to very coarse lump coal. This type of coal is characterized by rounded lumps, ranging in size from that of an egg to a football. In coal preparation, "coarse coal" is defined as pieces larger than 12.5 millimeters. This size distinction is important for cleaning processes, where larger pieces are separated for impurity removal. While the term "coarse coal" is a technical classification within preparation, "block coal" describes a more general, larger size of lump coal.123

Summary created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

12 Britannica Sources

Ask Britannica AI about this topic

Britannica doesn't have a full article on this topic, so we've curated a list of our relevant coverage.

coal mining
Levels of cleaning
…is sized into two products: coarse coal (larger than 12.5 millimetres) and fine coal (less than 12.5 millimetres); the coarse coal is cleaned to remove impurities; the fine coal is added to the cleaned coarse coal or marketed as a separate product.
Read More
…is sized into two products: coarse coal (larger than 12.5 millimetres) and fine coal (less than 12.5 millimetres); the coarse coal is cleaned to remove impurities; the fine coal is added to the cleaned coarse coal or marketed as a separate product.
Read More