One of the original and still most commonly used power sources on Earth is coal, which explains why millions of tons of it are mined every single year. However, even though coal mining is on the decline, especially with the rise of renewable energy sources, that doesn’t mean coal is going anywhere any time soon.
In fact, in countries like India and Singapore, coal is still the primary form of energy production, which is why coal laboratory testing is still such an important part of the mining process. Coal is also used in a ton of production processes including paper and fertilizers, which begins to show us why the quality of the coal is so important.
No matter what part of the coal mining process you’re involved with, quality is paramount, which is why you need to think about standard laboratory coal testing. When it comes to this part of the process, here are the four things you need to be thinking about.
#1 – Why Coal Testing is Important
You might agree that coal needs to be tested, but without realizing the importance of why, you’ll be far more likely to skip over the standards and have an acceptance for errors which will only damage you in the long-term.
Once the coal has been tested, the results are used for numerous things. This includes the commercial grading of coal, the ranking of quality, the characterization and other things. This is important because once a goal is mined, these results will show what the batch will be best used for.
This will also apply for local and international standards, allowing for importation and exportation of the product. Companies are strict on what gradings they deal with, which is why accuracy is so important.
#2 – What Tests are Used
When you’re choosing the standard lab that’s testing your coal batches or choosing the equipment you’ll use to do it yourself; you’ll need to make sure you’re choosing a company that’s enabling you to carry out the right coal sampling tests. Make sure you’re researching the relevant tests before proceeding.
#3 – Choosing the Right Equipment
Whether you’re investing in a lab or choosing a company to test your coal on your behalf, you’ll need to make sure the equipment is right for the job. This is so important because you need to ensure your results are accurate.
You’ll also need to make sure the equipment is well maintained and checked regularly for accuracy to ensure the results are as close to perfect as possible.
#4 – Safety is Essential
The final consideration you’ll want to think about is the safety procedures in place when your coal is being tested. Of course, when coal is heated, it can produce a tremendous amount of heat, which is why fire safety standards need to be high.
Summary
As you can see, there is plenty of consideration you’ll need to think about when it comes to standard lab testing your coal samples and batches. Whatever your role in the coal testing process, make sure you’re researching all the relevant information to get it right the first time.
