Coal Gas, Coal Tar, Coal Tar Pitch, and Derivatives

**Semantic type:** Hazardous or Poisonous Substance

**Definition:** A complex chemical mixture of condensed-ring aromatic hydrocarbons produced by the destructive distillation (pyrolysis) of coal. The lower viscosity byproducts are generally regarded as tar, whereas the viscous, semisolid, or solid byproducts are designated as pitch. Coal tar and coal tar pitch are known to be human carcinogens.

**Synonyms:** - Coal Gas/Tar Pitch Derivatives - Coal gas/tar pitch derivatives