Previous Year Question

Lignite is also known as ‘Brown Coal’. According to a technical document of the Ministry of Coal, Government of India, lignite is geologically one of the younger types of coal, is generally brown in colour, and is specifically referred to as Brown Coal.

Lignite is a low-rank form of coal. It generally has a higher moisture content and lower carbon content than higher-rank coals, and consequently has a lower heating value than high-rank coal such as anthracite. Publications of the Indian Bureau of Mines also associate lignite with brown coal and document its relatively high moisture characteristics.

Anthracite is a high-rank hard coal, whereas coke is a carbon-rich material obtained through the processing of coal.