Glossary

• Byproduct – something produced as a secondary result of the manufacture or production of something else
• Carbonaceous – containing or yielding coal or carbon, an energy source
• Char – a combustible residue of carbonaceous feedstock
• Combustion – a chemical process in which oxygen reacts strongly with other substances to produce a flame (heat and light)
• Endothermic – absorbing or requiring heat to maintain chemical reaction temperatures
• Exothermic – releasing or giving off heat during a chemical reaction
• Feedstock – a raw material used by industry in the manufacture of a product
• Gasification – conversion of low-value carboniferous feedstocks to higher-value gaseous fuels
• Gasifier – main component of a gasification system, which converts a solid or liquid into a gas by means of heat and pressure in the presence of oxygen
• Hydrocarbon – a fuel composed of hydrogen and carbon
• Inorganic – composed of minerals other than living materials or carbon
• Methane – the primary constituent of natural gas
• Organic – composed of living materials or carbon
• Oxidation – a chemical reaction in which oxygen is added to an element or compound
• Pet coke – petroleum coke, a solid residue composed mainly of carbon that is left after volatile elements have been driven from coal or other petroleum material
• Slag – mineral waste left after coal has been gasified
• Slurry – a liquid mixture of water and an insoluble solid, such as coal
• Syngas – a gaseous fuel derived (or synthesized) from a carbonaceous source such as coal and used as a substitute for a petroleum product
• Town gas – coal-based syngas provided by municipalities for heating and lighting, primarily in the 19th century
• Water - gas shift reaction – an inorganic chemical reaction in which water and carbon monoxide react to form carbon dioxide and hydrogen (water splitting): Carbon Monoxide (CO) + Water (H₂O) + catalyst and heat Results in: Carbon Dioxide (CO₂) + Hydrogen (H₂)