Coal is the most abundant hydrocarbon resource and has several positive attributes when considered as a feedstock for aromatic chemicals, and carbon-based materials. While coal continues to be used as an energy source in electric power plants, materials and chemicals from coal have been recognised as an important area for future coal utilisation research and development. This Chapter covers an area that involves chemical processing of coal and coal-derived substances for making carbon materials and organic chemicals. The objectives are to critically review the publications in open literature on carbon materials and organic chemicals from coal and to identify approaches and strategies as well as new directions for research. The technical discussions focus on both the unique, premium carbon products as materials, and the phenolic and aromatic compounds that can be converted to value-added organic chemicals. The review of chemicals from coal is directed towards those that make use of structural features of coal, rather than ‘alternative chemicals’ that are already produced from petroleum and natural gas as commodity chemicals in large quantities in industry worldwide.

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