Consider the following substances:  

I. Ethanol  

II. Nitroglycerine   

III. Urea   

Coal gasification technology can be used in the production of how many of them?   

  • Only one   
  • Only two   
  • All the three   
  • None 

Answer: (b) Only two   

Coal Gasification
  • Coal gasification is a process that converts coal into syngas (synthesis gas), a mixture primarily consisting of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and methane (CH₄).
  • This is achieved by reacting coal at high temperatures (typically above 1000°C) with a controlled amount of oxygen and/or steam.
  • Syngas is a valuable feedstock and can be further processed to produce various chemicals, fuels, and fertilisers.
  • Ethanol can be produced indirectly from coal through the coal gasification route.
    • In this method, coal is gasified to produce syngas, which is then converted into ethanol through a catalytic or microbial fermentation process.
    • While ethanol is most commonly produced from sugar or starch-based biomass through fermentation (especially in countries like India and Brazil), coal-to-ethanol technology is used in countries with abundant coal resources but limited agricultural biomass.
  • Nitroglycerine cannot be produced through coal gasification.
    • It is a chemical compound synthesized by the nitration of glycerol (glycerin) using a mixture of concentrated nitric acid and sulfuric acid.
    • Glycerol, the key raw material in this process, is typically a byproduct of the soap-making or biodiesel industries and has no direct connection with coal or syngas.
    • Since neither glycerol nor the acids used in nitration are derived from coal or its gasification products, coal gasification plays no role in the production of nitroglycerine.
  • Urea is one of the most important fertilizers and can indeed be produced using coal gasification technology.
    • In this process, coal is gasified to produce syngas, which is further used to synthesise ammonia via the Haber-Bosch process.
    • The ammonia thus obtained is then reacted with carbon dioxide to produce urea.
    • This method offers an alternative to conventional natural gas-based urea production and has been adopted in coal-rich countries.