Help on defining. Coal, charcoal, and coke

[Wade1987]

Hello everyone out there. I am from Indian River Michigan. 

I have been reading a bunch of the post, and trying to figure everything out.  Maybe I just have not found the right post yet to answer my question.  Or I am just so new idk what I am talking about yet. 

I am trying to figure out the difference between the hard fuels used in a forge. I am looking at building a variation of a JABOD forge and trying to go cheap as possible, but trying to figure out fuel now. I think I know two of them. 

Charcoal: made from burning/drying out wood?

Coal: is dug up from the earth

Coke:  I have no idea. Is this something you can make?

BBQ coal: something you don’t want to use for forging.  Why is that?

if there is a post out there that explains all this all ready I have not found it and I will be more than happy to go there and read it all just need to know we’re it is at.  

 

[ThomasPowers]

Did you check out what wikipedia says for each of those?

Charcoal comes from heating wood in an oxygen poor environment.

Coke comes from heating bituminous coal in an oxygen poor environment and happens in the forge when we burn coal.

Coal is a rock and there are several variations, some better some worse, for forging.  Best is a low sulfur bituminous coal with low ash and good coking rating.

Charcoal Briquettes are an engineered material and  are designed to burn slowly for cooking at temperatures MUCH LOWER than forging temps; they also produce a lot of ash.

[Irondragon Forge ClayWorks]

Thomas covered it very well. Briquettes are full of fillers and adhesive to make them hold the shape.

[Wade1987]

Thank you for explaining that to me. Now I will have a much better idea of what to do and what is being talked about. 

I am pretty sure I will be doing charcoal I have read multiple post on how to make it all ready.