Bituminous coal is called black coal and is not as hard as Anthracite coal. It contains deposits of bitumen that is a tar like substance so this makes it softer. This coal comes from lignite coal that has been under more pressure for longer periods of time. Their are higher amounts of water, air, hydrogen and sulfur contained in this coal so the carbon content is lower and more gases are given off in combustion. The large difference in carbon content is reflected in the fact that the percentage of carbon content in bituminous coal is around 60-80%.