Coal Science & Technology
Penn State has a long history of coal science and coal technology dating back to the 1930’s and even earlier*. Much of the work has been through the Fuel Science Program in its various forms from the 1950’s to the present, where Fuels Science is currently an option in the Energy and Mineral Engineering Department. Other departments however are also active in coal research including Mechanical and Nuclear Engineering, Material Science and Engineering, as well as Chemical Engineering to name just a few. Over our history we have been active in practically all aspects of coal but it certainly includes the traditional areas: Coal combustion, coal processing, direct coal-to-liquids, coal gasification, coal structure, coal petrology, coal coking, environmental controls, processing, coal beneficiation, and coal ash-chemistry. In emerging areas of coal research we are active in enhanced coalbed methane and CO2 sequestration in coal, oxy-combustion, co-firing coal-biomass, ionic liquids treatment for coal, microwave applications of coal, X-ray computed tomography of coal, and others? We are one of the two National Research Centers in Coal.
* Non-mining coal-theses date back to the early 1900’s