Consider the following substances :
- I.Ethanol
- II.Nitroglycerine
- III.Urea
Coal gasification technology can be used in the production of how many of them?
Show answer
Answer: B. Coal gasification turns coal into syngas (carbon monoxide and hydrogen). Syngas can be used to make ethanol (via methanol or direct conversion) and to make ammonia and then urea, as at the Talcher Fertilizers plant in Odisha. Nitroglycerine is made by nitrating glycerol, which is not a coal-gasification product. So two of them can be produced.
Watch for: Students know urea from coal gasification (Talcher) but may not know ethanol can also come from syngas.
Why the other options are wrong
- A. Wrong: both ethanol and urea can be produced using coal gasification.
- C. Wrong: nitroglycerine is not made through coal gasification.
- D. Wrong: ethanol and urea can be made through it.
Source to check: Ministry of Coal, National Coal Gasification Mission (coal.gov.in); PIB releases on Talcher Fertilizers.
Answer from the official UPSC key. Written and fact-checked by AI against the official key. Spotted a mistake? Report it.