Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online

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Coal
(878 words)

The term coal today refers to all solid fuels with a carbon content over 50% created by the coalification of organic material. In the course of this transformation of primarily vegetable matter, in particular lignin and cellulose, into brown or black sedimentary rock, carbon is concentrated initially by biochemical (influence of microorganisms), later geochemical and metamorphic processes (action of pressure and heat, passage of time). The result is the formation of coal. The degree of coalifica…

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Bleidick, Dietmar, “Coal”, in: Encyclopedia of Early Modern History Online, Editors of the English edition: Graeme Dunphy, Andrew Gow. Original German Edition: Enzyklopädie der Neuzeit. Im Auftrag des Kulturwissenschaftlichen Instituts (Essen) und in Verbindung mit den Fachherausgebern herausgegeben von Friedrich Jaeger. Copyright © J.B. Metzlersche Verlagsbuchhandlung und Carl Ernst Poeschel Verlag GmbH 2005–2012. Consulted online on 19 March 2024 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1163/2352-0272_emho_SIM_022379>
First published online: 2015
First print edition: 20170206



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