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"Coal Flowers"

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"Coal Flowers" demonstrate the porosity of coal, a property which allows water and gas to move through it. The "flowers" that form on the surface of the coal are actually salt crystals, which form when the coal is placed in a solution of water, ammonia, salt, and blueing. Capillary action pulls the solution through the coal; when it reaches the surface, the water evaporates, leaving salt crystals behind. This property is not unique to coal, anything that is porous can do this, you could even make "sponge flowers" if you were so inclined. This porosity is what allows water to move through coal and react with the sulfide in pyrite, this is what creates ADM. 

"Coal Flowers" were also featured in Coal Mine Elementary by Mark Nowak, which exhibited the propaganda pushed by the coal industry alongside accounts of coal mining accidents. This particular excerpt is especially haunting.
 

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