Exp) Option b is the correct answer.

Coal gasification is a process that converts coal into syngas (synthesis gas), a mixture primarily consisting of carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen (H₂), carbon dioxide (CO₂), and methane (CH₄).

This is achieved by reacting coal at high temperatures (typically above 1000°C) with a controlled amount of oxygen and/or steam.

Syngas is a valuable feedstock and can be further processed to produce various chemicals, fuels, and fertilizers.

Option I is correct: Ethanol

Ethanol can be produced indirectly from coal through the coal gasification route.

• In this method, coal is gasified to produce syngas, which is then converted into ethanol through a catalytic or microbial fermentation process.

While ethanol is most commonly produced from sugar or starch-based biomass through fermentation (especially in countries like India and Brazil), coal-to-ethanol technology is used in countries with abundant coal resources but limited agricultural biomass.

Option II is incorrect: Nitroglycerine

Nitroglycerine cannot be produced through coal gasification.

• It is a chemical compound synthesized by the nitration of glycerol (glycerin) using a mixture of concentrated nitric acid and sulfuric acid.
• Glycerol, the key raw material in this process, is typically a byproduct of the soap-making or biodiesel industries and has no direct connection with coal or syngas.

Since neither glycerol nor the acids used in nitration are derived from coal or its gasification products, coal gasification plays no role in the production of nitroglycerine.

Option III is correct: Urea

Urea is one of the most important fertilizers and can indeed be produced using coal gasification technology.

• In this process, coal is gasified to produce syngas, which is further used to synthesize ammonia via the Haber-Bosch process.
• The ammonia thus obtained is then reacted with carbon dioxide to produce urea.
• This method offers an alternative to conventional natural gas-based urea production and has been adopted in coal-rich countries.

Source: https://coal.gov.in/sites/default/files/ncgm/ncgm21-09-21.pdf

https://indianexpress.com/article/explained/explained-how-coal-gasification-can-help-india-bring-down-its-urea-import-6025114/

https://www.nobelprize.org/alfred-nobel/nitroglycerine-and-dynamite/