Topic: Non‑renewable natural fuels – hard coal processing

Target group

High school / technical school student

Core curriculum

New core curriculum:

High school and technical high school. Chemistry – basic level:

XIII. Hydrocarbons. Pupil:

8) describes the course of crude oil distillation and coal pyrolysis; mentions product names these processes and their applications.

High school and technical high school. Chemistry – extended level:

XIII. Hydrocarbons. Pupil:

13) describes the course of crude oil distillation and coal pyrolysis; lists names products of these processes and their applications.

Old core curriculum:

High school and technical high school. Chemistry – basic level:

XIII. Hydrocarbons. Pupil:

8) describes the course of distillation of crude oil and coal pyrolysis; lists the product names of these processes and justifies their use.

General aim of education

The student acquires knowledge and discusses the process of hard coal distillation.

Key competences

• communication in foreign languages;

• digital competence;

• learning to learn;

• mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology.

Criteria for success
The student will learn:

• you will list natural energy resources;

• you will explain what is the distillation of hard coal;

• you will list product groups during hard coal distillation due to the state of aggregation;

• you will list and discuss the use of hard coal products.

Methods/techniques

• expository

  • talk.

• activating

  • discussion.

• exposing

  • film.

• programmed

  • with computer;

  • with e‑textbook.

• practical

  • exercices concerned;

  • experiment.

Forms of work

• individual activity;

• activity in pairs;

• activity in groups;

• collective activity.

Teaching aids

• e‑textbook;

• notebook and crayons/felt‑tip pens;

• interactive whiteboard, tablets/computers.

Lesson plan overview

Introduction

1. The teacher hands out Methodology Guide or green, yellow and red sheets of paper to the students to be used during the work based on a traffic light technique. He presents the aims of the lesson in the student's language on a multimedia presentation and discusses the criteria of success (aims of the lesson and success criteria can be send to students via e‑mail or posted on Facebook, so that students will be able to manage their portfolio).

2. The teacher together with the students determines the topic – based on the previously presented lesson aims – and then writes it on the interactive whiteboard/blackboard. Students write the topic in the notebook.

Realization

1. Students will learn about the abstract and try to remember its content. Then the participants of the classes, working in pairs, ask each other about the knowledge of the abstract.

2. The teacher displays a map showing the energy resources in Poland, contained in the abstract. The teacher introduces students to the issue and asks questions prompting participants to deeper data analysis.

3. Students read the instruction of the „Hard coal distillation” experiment. In the form included in the abstract, they write down the research question and the hypothesis, and then watch the film showing the experiment. They note their observations and conclusions. The teacher indicates the person who shares his insights and explains the reasonableness of the conclusions he has made.

4. The teacher displays the scheme „Application of products obtained during distillation of hard coal”. Divides students into groups. The task of each of them is to analyze the scheme and presentation of the use of one of the coal distillation products. After completing the task, the representatives of the groups present the results of the work. Other students can complement their colleagues' statements.

5. Students, working individually or in pairs, carry out interactive exercises to check and consolidate knowledge learned during the lesson. Selected people discuss the correct solutions for interactive exercises. The teacher completes or straightens the statements of the proteges.

6. The teacher plays the recording of the abstract. Every now and then he stops it, asking the students to tell in their own words what they have just heard.This way, students practice listening comprehension.

Summary

1. The teacher asks the students to finish the following sentences:

   • Today I learned ...

   • I understood that …

   • It surprised me …

   • I found out ...

   The teacher can use the interactive whiteboard in the abstract or instruct students to work with it

Homework

1. Make at home a note from the lesson using the sketchnoting method.

The following terms and recordings will be used during this lesson

Terms

Texts and recordings

Non‑renewable natural fuels – hard coal processing

The progress of humanity has always been based on natural resources. Their impact was go extensive that names of historical periods (e.g. the Stone Age, the Bronze Age, the Iron Age) are directly related to the names of these resources. Development of civilisation relies on energy‑related needs. An archaic man needed a small amount of energy to maintain proper body temperature, prepare food or scare wild animals away. Nowadays, the development of new technologies and transport, and the increase in comfort of life make energy – apart from food and air – one of the most needed recourse.

Modern energy uses mainly non‑renewable natural fuels, that is fossil carbons, crude oil, natural gas and fissile elements – uranium and thorium. Due to the declining resources of these fuels, people are searching for alternative sources of energy.

Hard and brown coal are the main energy resources of Poland. That is why electricity in our country is produced using coal. The natural gas and crude oil deposits are minor, so these raw materials are mostly imported.

Anthracite, hard coal, brown coal and peat are different types of fossil carbon. Their deposits were formed millions of years ago in a hot, humid climate, under anaerobic conditions. Various types of fossil carbons differ in colour (from light brown to intense black), hardness, sheen, percentage content of carbon, which results from the degree of carbonisation of organic matter.

Each variety of fossil carbon is applied in practice. Due to humus content, peat is used mainly in agriculture and horticulture to fertilize soils. On the other hand, for example in Ireland and Finland it is still used as fuel. In medicine it is applied to treat for example rheumatic diseases and some diseases of internal organs (for example in peat baths). Brown coal is used as an energy source – mainly in heat and power generating plants. Its loose and porous structure makes it possible to retain water, that is why it may be successfully used also to garden lawns and ornamental plants or to grown mushrooms, such as oyster mushrooms. Anthracite is used on a small scale, mainly to treat water and waste, produce electrodes and as a fuel for fireplace.

Hard coal may be used as an energy source in an unprocessed form. Complete carbon combustion is an exogenous process. That is why coal can be used as fuel and in industry:

$\text{C + }{\text{O}}_{\text{2}}\text{ → }{\text{CO}}_{\text{2}}\text{ + 393.5kJ }$

A substantial part of this raw material undergoes processing as a result of which numerous valuable substances are obtained. High temperature carbonization, also referred to as pyrolysis, coking, degassing or dry distillation of hard coal, is one of such processed carried out in coking plants. Coal is heated to a temperature of up to 1000°C without air supply. Its decomposition takes place under such conditions.

Dry distillation of hard coal results in the following solids: coke; liquids: coal tar and gas liquor (ammonia liquor); and gases: coke‑oven gas. Coke is practically pure carbon with a small admixture of inorganic compounds. It has porous structure and high calorific value. Coal tar is a mixture of numerous chemical compounds, mainly organic ones. It looks like a black, dense liquid with typical odour. Fractional distillation of coal tar leads to a number of organic compounds that are valuable raw materials for chemical industry. The so‑called coal‑tar pitch is a residue from distillation of coal tar. It is used to produce tar and roofing pitch, and to briquette coal dust. Gas liquor is an aqueous solution of ammonia and ammonium salts. Coke‑oven gas is a mixture of hydrogen, methane and carbon monoxide. All products of dry hard coal distillation are widely used.

• The following natural mineral fuels can be distinguished: hard coal, brown coal, peat.

• The following products are obtained as a result of heating of hard coal at a temperature of approx. 1000°C without air (high temperature carbonization): coke, coal tar, gas liquor and coke‑oven gas.