One of the most valuable sources of energy for the world industry are now solid fossil fuels.Humanity without them can hardly do without.Among other things, even genius Dmitri Ivanovich Mendeleev said: "Stoke is possible and banknotes."The scientist meant that these resources would be useful for the synthesis of the required human agents.
Modern science has repeatedly reaffirmed its right.Oddly, but in many ways the riches that lie deep beneath the earth, we must ancient flora.That ancient ferns and trees formed over time many useful resources.By the way, what minerals were formed from ancient plants?Well, let's find out!
General characteristics of plant fossil fuels
These fuels contain huge amounts of carbon.They all formed from plant residues, which for millions of years operated high pressure and high temperature.The age of some of the ancient species of vegetable oil is much higher than the mark of 650 million years.Approximately 80% of these deposits were formed in the Tertiary period.It is this time, we owe the fact that mineral resources still provide us with all necessary.
main feature of their education should consider the fact that in those days the world was still a little oxygen, which is now rapidly oxidizes organics, but a lot of carbon compounds on its basis.Sedimentary rocks were preserved quickly huge masses of matter in the interior of the earth.
you to better focus on this issue, we prepared the table.Minerals is not located haphazardly in the ground.
| landforms | crustal structure, its age | main types of fossil | Examples |
| Plain | Shields times arheozoya, Proterozoic | lot of iron, manganese ore | Baltic Shield Russian platform |
| Plates ancient platforms, the formation of which occurs during the Paleozoic | Oilgas, coal and other fossil plant | Western Siberia | |
| Mountain | Young Mountain Alpine age | Many ores | Caucasus |
| olddestroyed the mountain since the Mesozoic | contain virtually all kinds of valuable minerals, including ores | Kazakh low hills |
However, among some scholars popular theory of abiotic origin of many of fossil fuels, which explainstheir occurrence combination of various factors that lead to complex carbon compounds from simple inorganic substances.
This view also has the right to life, but most scientists still believe that the vast number of fields it has a biological nature arise.Well, what minerals were formed from ancient plants?This is what we now describe.
importance for industry and human
As we have already said, many of these substances - a real fount of modern chemical industry.The same coal contains a plurality of compounds which in some cases can be obtained only by complex and expensive synthesis.For example, humic acids, which in nature do not occur very often and quite complex for the artificial synthesis, a man receives a mass of cheap and common brown coal.
In principle, all this will tell you economic geography.Minerals play a crucial role in the formation of normal production of any economy.
Note that full use of the many resources of plant origin is possible only if the person knows the nuances of their education.First, we consider the many times we have mentioned the coals, as the process of their formation is quite interesting.Coal, like other major minerals of vegetable origin, various plants have been established in the process of withering away.
Feature education humic coals
A long time ago, when the Earth was still the giant dinosaurs roamed on the vast expanses of lush forests grew beautiful.For their growth and development conditions were ideal: in soil for many organic and atmospheric carbon dioxide predominates.However, these same conditions contributed to the fact that the plants died out very rapidly.They often fall to the ground, where he quickly decompose, since nothing had been protected from the oxidizing action of the air.
combination of all these factors led to a very rapid degradation of cellulose.Huge masses of vegetation turns into a "cocktail" of humic substances, diluted with minor amounts of impurities resins, waxes and paraffins.However, all this weight pretty quickly biodegradable, and therefore particularly rapid accumulation of organic matter in those days did not occur.The main mineral resources appeared somewhat later.
Since coal was formed directly?
manner described above resulted in the formation of dry peat, which at the present time on the surface of our planet is sufficient.As a rule, no further metamorphosis happened to him, since it covered most of the sand layer and land safely canning organics from the effects of oxygen and microorganisms.This mass was very plastic, and therefore some bundles or mixing in the future from happening.
Since undecomposed organic matter deep in the peat was very little further decay processes were not.Thus, the temperature in the interior layers always remain at the same level.
pressure and time ...
However, over time, gradually compacted layers due to caking.Gradually, humic acid is converted into humites resins were subjected to the process of decarboxylation, and only waxes remained unchanged for thousands of years.That's resulted in the formation of brown humic coals.Especially a lot of them in the Krasnoyarsk Territory.This is the most common mineral edge (and an important source of income, of course).
Under the influence of a range of environmental factors there was a gradual metamorphosis of them as a result of which receives stone humic coals.The main role in this process belongs to the high pressure and high temperature of not less than.Under these conditions, humic acid begins to rapidly degrade resins and natural waxes are subjected to polymerization.
All this led to the synthesis of infusible completely insoluble compounds.It is thanks to them that this type of coal and has survived to the present day.It lies at a relatively shallow depth, and therefore subject to several other physical and chemical properties, it would inevitably have been washed out.And what minerals were formed from ancient plants, in addition to the above-described humus coal?
The process of formation of a mixed-type coal
It should be noted that the nature of the formation of pure humus compounds proceeded extremely rare.More often came mixed process.Scientists theorize that he went on several fronts.As a rule, it all happened at the bottom of ancient bodies of water on the site which now houses a mineral deposit.
humic substances are gradually were brought there with rainwater and slowly, over the centuries, settled on the bottom.Plankton, which grew rapidly with such an abundance of organic matter gradually mixed with all this weight.But things could be completely different.
Once on land hit by violent storms and torrential rains fell in the waters huge amount of humic substances and various mineral compounds.First, it is settled at the bottom of heavy minerals, humic acid and only acted on them as powerful oxidants.Gradually, the whole mass was subjected to polymerization.Since oxygen in the bottom waters was very little material over time we were under the influence of the dehydration process.And so it forms an angle of mixed composition.
These minerals Russia are extremely common in the eastern part of our country.
about the chemical composition of coal
In general, their composition is not particularly diverse: carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur.The only difference in the fraction of total mass of these substances, as it is their percentage of it is safe to determine not only the type of fossil fuel plant, but even the region of its origin and production.So you have at least a rough idea about this issue, we analyze the composition of the average humus brown coal.
Classification of substances included in the coal
most common substances that are included in any of its varieties, called ugleobrazovatelyami.Here's the full list:
- Ironically, proteins.Hydrolysis coal researchers have noticed that in the resulting mixture has a number of amino acids.Finding these substances in the thick layers of fossil fuels explained quite simply: it is preserved in ancient times, the simplest, and the remains of more advanced organisms.In any case, many mineral deposits often boast a collection worthy of the paleontological museum.
- course cellulose.This complex carbohydrate that is the primary building blocks of any form of plant life, is no small part by weight of both coal and oil shale (we'll talk about them later).
- waxes, which we have repeatedly mentioned.Are esters of certain aliphatic carboxylic acids and alcohols.
- resins.This is a very complex mixture of all of the same carboxylic acids and saponifiable and unsaponifiable matter.In some specific conditions are easily decarboxylation and fast polymerization.It is a kind of "bridge" for coal, because its components are bonded in the process of primary compression.
It is almost identical to the composition of all kinds of fossil fuels says their plant and partly animal.Proponents of abiotic appearance of the same oil can not find enough convincing arguments with which it would be possible to refute this evidence.In any case, any card minerals (organic) show that their deposits are mainly in the field of ancient seas, rich in organic matter.
Basics coal
characteristics and methods of this process fully depends on the depth of the reservoir.If it does not exceed one hundred meters, you can open, a way to develop a career.It often happens that an increase in the depth of the cut becomes more economically feasible method Shaft.
In our country the deepest level of the mine is approximately 1200 meters.Any card minerals Russia will show that most of them in Siberia.Edge deservedly considered the present pantry, granary of nature.
Other important substances
should be noted that the coal seams are often encountered congestion substances having enormous industrial value.These are some valuable geological rocks (marble, for example), a huge amount of methane, as well as rare, scattered chemical elements.For example, some varieties of brown coal contain a lot of Germany, without which modern radio-electronic industry, since it is based on it are many types of semiconductors.
The use of coal in modern industry
Long gone are the days when this type of mineral used exclusively as fuel.As we have noted, he extracted some of the rare chemicals, coal is a raw material for the production of many types of plastics.Ever since the Second World War, it is known that from it we can make an artificial gasoline.
These minerals Russia largely ensured rapid growth of the industry after the revolution.They allow the economy to maintain a consistently high level.
Oil shale
This solid fuels of plant origin from the group of solid caustobiolites.The main feature of the shale, which provided them with such a high popularity in recent years, a resin within them.It is obtained by the distillation.The value of it is that its physical and chemical properties, it is very close to the crude oil, but its production cost much lower oil field.
differential structure
The main difference from the slate of the same coal is that in its composition contains more minerals.Organic part - kerogen.Only the highest quality shale's share comes to 70%, while in all other cases, the organic content does not exceed 30%.The kerogen is the oldest fossils of single-celled algae.
that part of them, which for centuries have not lost track of the cell structure - is tallomoalginit.Accordingly, completely degraded unicellular algae are called kolloalginit.In addition, the shale is often possible to find even a part of the higher plants, which have been on our planet in ancient times.
Here are the minerals were formed from ancient plants.We hope that in this article you have received all the information that interested you.
