are there different grades of anthracite?

 
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Post by filix » Wed. Dec. 12, 2018 2:24 pm

Around here there is a store chain called Tractor Supply. The sell anthracite coal for under 6.00 a 40lb bag. I forget the brand of anthracite they sell. I,m a newbie at coal. I just bought a TLC 2000. I like it. There some people around here that say there is anthracite and then there is anthracite. They say blaschak is the best brand of anthracite coal. Is there any truth to this? Thanks. filix.


 
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Post by ratherbeflying » Wed. Dec. 12, 2018 3:31 pm

ive noticed a little difference between brands yes... and tractor supply being shittiest experience of them all, but it does burn... my only issue with them is the inconsistent sizes and the amount of fines per bag... im not sure your location but theres a place called lehigh anthracite in PA and they have had the most consistent sized nut coal with the least amount of fines between the 4 brands ive been lucky enough to play with.... someone told me KIMMEL had an issue with some dirt or mud in the bags of rice, but ive never seen mud in anything before.... anthracite is anthracite, just size consistency and amount of fines if bagged are the only differences ive noticed... lehighs nut is larger then say WILSONs nut so technically lehigh would burn hotter at the same primary air setting so you would throttle back a little bit... thats the only differences ive seen. between brands..

 
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Post by Lightning » Wed. Dec. 12, 2018 5:20 pm

There are different grades of anthracite.
1) ultra high grade
2) high grade
3) standard grade
4) semi anthracite

From what I understand, the top two are only a few percent of the anthracite market. We use the "standard grade" anthracite. Although, even then not all standard grade anthracite is the same. Every seam can have slightly different burning characteristics because of variables in volatile matter, ash and moisture content, iron content and others.

 
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Post by filix » Wed. Dec. 12, 2018 6:00 pm

Good info! Both of you. Thank you very much. Its very interesting. Knowledge is power! filix

 
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Post by ratherbeflying » Wed. Dec. 12, 2018 9:51 pm

lightening that is pretty cool stuff i had no idea there were different grades of anthracite. where can i get my hands on the high and ultra high grade stuff? i thought lehigh was as good as its going to get!

 
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Lightning
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Post by Lightning » Wed. Dec. 12, 2018 10:29 pm

ratherbeflying wrote:
Wed. Dec. 12, 2018 9:51 pm
lightening that is pretty cool stuff i had no idea there were different grades of anthracite. where can i get my hands on the high and ultra high grade stuff? i thought lehigh was as good as its going to get!
I don't think those two top grades are available for public purchase, but I could be wrong. I agree that Lehigh is one of the best brands on the market but there are others that are a very close second. Lehigh is definitely my first choice.

 
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Post by McGiever » Wed. Dec. 12, 2018 11:25 pm

Lightning wrote:
Wed. Dec. 12, 2018 5:20 pm
There are different grades of anthracite.
1) ultra high grade
2) high grade
3) standard grade
4) semi anthracite

From what I understand, the top two are only a few percent of the anthracite market. We use the "standard grade" anthracite. Although, even then not all standard grade anthracite is the same. Every seam can have slightly different burning characteristics because of variables in volatile matter, ash and moisture content, iron content and others.
Is this all in Pennsylvania or are you speaking Globally?


 
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Post by Lightning » Thu. Dec. 13, 2018 4:43 am

The source that I learned that much from didn't specify.

 
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Post by lsayre » Thu. Dec. 13, 2018 5:54 am

There is also a "metalurgical grade" of anthracite. Western Canada has boat loads of it, with most of it sitting untouched. There is also metalurgical grade (or met grade) bituminous (also abundant in Western Canada), so this "met grade" terminology can get rather confusing.
Atrum Coal fully owns the Groundhog anthracite project, located in the Groundhog Coalfield in north-western British Columbia, Canada. The project consists of high-grade and ultra-high-grade anthracite that has applications in the steel and ferro-alloy industries.

The high-ranking anthracite deposit is capable of delivering a sub 10% ash product with ultra-low volatile content and high-calorific value.

The Groundhog project is estimated to contain JORC-compliant measured, indicated and inferred resources of 1.57 billion tonnes, which include 609.2Mt (million tonnes) in the Groundhog north mining complex.
https://www.mining-technology.com/projects/ground ... -columbia/

My guess is that this coal is considered too valuable in relation to steel production to merely waste it on home heating applications. It also may be that it won't burn well due to being so carbon pure and volatiles free. Yet at the same time not valuable enough to mine, as to date no one has touched it. Very confusing.

 
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Post by ratherbeflying » Thu. Dec. 13, 2018 9:27 am

im pretty sure coal is beginning to come back and they will be mining more again! there is absolutely no reason why every single person in America who owns a wood burning stove shouldnt have a coal/wood stove instead and burn coal more then wood.. besides it being so much more efficient and effortless, its CLEANER and youre not burning the TREES that keep the air clean and full of oxygen... really pisses me off when someone says coal is bad for the environment.

 
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Post by ShawnLiNy » Fri. Dec. 14, 2018 1:37 am

As others have stated there are various grades of anthracite some higher in carbon others higher volatiles , some has high sulphur content that you may be able to see as a yellowish powder , the problem for all of us now and in the future is msha has made it almost impossible to legally and economically mine underground they used to be able to drift mine enter from the side of a mountain and follow the vein , or cut a shaft and follow the vein that way . ( this will never come back no matter what we all want to believe , the mining jobs trump has promised are only in power generation mining of sub anthracite and bit . I believe most of our home heating coal is reclaimed from previously mined sites which is why we will hear about mud , rocks , sticks etc making it into the bags ( not as common with bulk ) a few years ago 09-10 you guys were always talking about harmony mine and UAE I think . Any way back to the topic if you can hook up with a small bootleg operation you could get quality better than anything available , but the only real opportunity for most of us to burn the quality stuff of old is to scoure Craigslist for coal removals people still give it away and if you score an old batch you’ll be blown away , when I first got my stove in 07-08 I was spoiled I found a demolition and architectural salvage guy on the north shore of Nassau county Long Island who had stockpiled years worth of basement coal from grand estates that were torn down . The only condition was you had to have a truck I was moving 1 1/2 tons every 4-5 days and shoveling it into bulk bags in my driveway I had to build a bin at the time I thought I took a lot I ended with 4-5 tons easy 3 bulk bags and another 2 in the bin , this was a mix of the best coal I have ever burned but I had no way of knowing most produced really red ash that burned to a complete powder a large portion of the coal was actually blue I thought it was a different type This coal was specifically dyed as a brand I guess in the 50s or earlier . Sorry for my long rant , I love burning coal wish I was closer to coal country I’m a member since 08 my old SN was ShawninNy I think I changed email accounts or something anyway good to be back , ( Is Fred stil a member I haven’t seen his posts ) glad to be back

 
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Post by StokerDon » Fri. Dec. 14, 2018 9:00 am

Good to have you back Shawn,

Basement mining is a good source of free coal if you can find it.
ShawnLiNy wrote:
Fri. Dec. 14, 2018 1:37 am
this was a mix of the best coal I have ever burned but I had no way of knowing most produced really red ash that burned to a complete powder a large portion of the coal was actually blue I thought it was a different type This coal was specifically dyed as a brand I guess in the 50s or earlier .
To my knowledge, you can't dye coal. Sounds like what you found there was the famous "Blue Coal". This coal came from a specific place and it actually had natural blue pieces in it. The company that mined it was appropriately called "Blue Coal". You lucky Dog!
ShawnLiNy wrote:
Fri. Dec. 14, 2018 1:37 am
I love burning coal wish I was closer to coal country I’m a member since 08 my old SN was ShawninNy I think I changed email accounts or something anyway good to be back , ( Is Fred stil a member I haven’t seen his posts ) glad to be back
If you are talking about Freetown Fred, unfortunately he is layed up at the moment. We are all hoping and praying for his recovery over at the the Coffee House in this thread.
Freetown Fred
Please stop by.

-Don

 
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Post by franco b » Fri. Dec. 14, 2018 1:33 pm

"The weed of crime bears bitter fruit, the Shadow knows."

Blue Coal was the sponsor of the Shadow adventure series, and every program started with the above statement.

The best coal I have used was Bethlehem Coal. It was almost like broken up black glass and very shiny.

 
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Post by ShawnLiNy » Fri. Dec. 14, 2018 4:35 pm

Thanks for the clarification on the blue coal and the welcome !👍 occasionally I’m come across a random peice with bluish irradescence . It’s been a long time and I still regret not returning every day and taking more , when I first started taking it it was 3 massive piles about 12’ high in 20x20 block bunkers packed to top you were able to open or remove tailgate and just back into the pile than close gate and shovel in , in a few weeks all easy stuff was gone so you had to shovel stuff from under old equipment into buckets to carry to truck , so it would take a few hours to get a decent amount alone

 
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Post by StokerDon » Fri. Dec. 14, 2018 7:27 pm

franco b wrote:
Fri. Dec. 14, 2018 1:33 pm
"The weed of crime bears bitter fruit, the Shadow knows."

Blue Coal was the sponsor of the Shadow adventure series, and every program started with the above statement.
Neat, I didn't know that! I had to search it out on Youtube. There is a whole playlist of them. I think it's everything from 1930 to 1954. This episode is the first sponsored by Blue Coal.

-Don


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