Part of a series on |
Coal |
---|
![]() |
Coking is the heating of coal in the absence of oxygen to a temperature above 600 °C (1,112 °F) to drive off the volatile components of the raw coal, leaving a hard, strong, porous material of high carbon content called coke. Coke is almost all carbon. The porosity gives it a high surface area, which makes it burn faster (as does a sheet of paper versus a wooden log). When a kilogram of coke is burned it releases more heat than a kilogram of the original coal.