BUREAU OF GEOLOGY


 GLOSSARY OF TECHNICAL TERMS

 by
 Kenneth M. Campbell

absorption Taking up, assimilation, or incorporation; e.g., of liquids in
solids or of gasses in liquids, sometimes incorrectly used in place of
adsorption.

acetone A volatile flammable liquid, (CH3)2CO, used as a solvent and
in organic synthesis.

acid A compound, capable of neutralizing alkalis, containing hydro-
gen that can be replaced by a metal or an electropositive group to form a
salt or containing an atom that can accept a pair of electrons from a base.

acid hydrolysis Decomposition process in which peat is broken down
into component compounds. Peat is slurried with water and sulfuric acid
at elevated temperatures and pressure and allowed to react.

activated carbon Carbon which has been expanded by treating coke
with steam at 1652 20120F. The reaction causes generation of hydro-
gen gas and carbon monoxide with the physical effect of expanding the
pore spaces in the coke, greatly increasing the surface area available for
adsorption.

adsorption Adherence of gas molecules or of ions or molecules in
solutions to the surfaces of solids with which they are in contact.

aldehydes A class of organic compounds containing the group -CHO,
which yield acids when oxidized and alcohols when reduced.

alkali Any strongly basic substance, such as a hydroxide or carbon-
ate of an alkali metal (e.g. sodium, potassium) that neutralizes acid to
form salts.

anhydrite A mineral consisting of an anhydrous calcium sulfate:
CaSO4. It represents gypsum without its water of crystallization, and it
alters readily to gypsum, from which it differs in crystal form (anhydrite
is orthorhombic) and in being harder and slightly less soluble.

anthracite Coal of the highest metamorphic rank, in which fixed-
carbon content is between 86 percent and 98 percent. It is hard, black,
and has a semimetallic luster and semiconchoidal fracture. Anthracite
ignites with difficulty and burns with a short, blue flame and without
smoke. Syn: hard coal, stone coals.


The percentage of incombustible material in a fuel.


102


ash content