Anthracite coal is a form of coal that is almost made entirely of carbon. Anthracite coal is much harder than other forms of coal such as bituminous, and is usually found in areas surrounding mountains or deep valleys. Anthracite burns much cleaner than other forms of coal due to its low pollutant content. In fact, anthracite may contain 91% to 98% pure carbon, leaving only 2% to 9% of other elements. Anthracite coal is difficult to ignite and burns with a blue, smokeless flame.

Applications
Anthracite coal is used in a variety of applications but is usually used for heating. Anthracite coal is the cleanest form of coal as it produces very little pollution and does not stain skin when touched, unlike most forms of coal. While anthracite coal is more difficult to burn, it produces more heat than other types of coal. Anthracite is most often used in domestic furnaces and fireplaces, although it is also used in some types of filters and is a common ingredient in charcoal. Anthracite is also used in steam-based power generators and can be converted into liquid in order to be used in internal combustion engines.

Advantages
Anthracite coal has several important advantages not only over other forms of coal, but over other energy producing materials in general. Its most important advantage is, of course, the fact that it produces very little pollution or soot, making it a very clean source of heat. Anthracite coal is also very efficient because only a small amount needs to be burnt to produce a large amount of energy.

Plenty of limestone is available in the Indian subcontinent, but major steel plants are still going for imports to get better quality.

Steel industry normally uses around 40 kg lime to make 1 ton of steel. Lime, or quick lime, is obtained by calcining or burning limestone. In this process, limestone or calcium carbonate (CaCO3) is converted to CaO or lime.

Imported limestone particularly from Oman has revealed that it contains lower silica and lower alumina compared to domestically available limestone. According to industry people Lower silica and low alumina improves the quality of limestone and this reduces the total cost of procuring limestone. Steel makers can now obtain the same results by using lesser quantity of limestone. Some steel makers also feel that the achievable benefits are higher than the cost incurred for importing limestone.

As an obvious consequence, Indian steel makers are finding more value in importing limestone and the market is witnessing unprecedented growth in limestone import into the country.

A study about coking coal says “The Indian steel industry would have to import around 37-million tons of coking coal in 2012 to meet an estimated steel demand of around 60-million tons. This import would increase to around 45-million tons in 2013 against a steel demand of 68-million tons

Coking coal sourced from Australia is around 85% of total imports into India, followed by 12% from Indonesia and 3% from New Zealand.

“Australia will continue to have an advantage over other current or developing basins. Indonesia and Mozambique have geographical advantage in terms of proximity but quality, infrastructure and steady availability are much bigger questions in these areas,” sources said.

A Coking coal is that coal which when heated in absence of air leaves a solid coherent residue possessing metallic grayish luster & which possesses all the physical & chemical properties in the coke when manufactured commercially. Coking coal are those coals which after heating in absence of air leaves a residual coke. This coke when satisfies all the physical & chemical characteristics such as CSR, CRI, Shutter Index, Micum 10 & 40 & Porosity, are accepted by the steel plants. The coal which produces such coke is termed as coking coal.