Petrological and technological evaluation of coal from the Lubelska deposit as a high-quality feedstock for coking

This study assesses the suitability of run-of-mine coal from the Lubelska deposit of the Lviv-Volyn Coal Basin (Ukraine) for use in coal blends under bulk and stamp charging at a coking plant. The research responds to increasing demand for high-quality coke and declining reserves of premium coking coals. The methodology included geological and petrographic analysis, maceral composition and vitrinite reflectance studies, proximate analysis, plastic-viscous behavior, and basicity index determination. Сoal of the Lubelska deposit No. 3, seam n7 (the Serpukhovian Stage (Namurian A) of the Lower Carboniferous) was classified under the International System for Medium- and High-Rank Coals (UNECE) as bituminous. Its code (12 0 21 8 24 04 09 36) indicates favorable quality, with low ash (4.0–4.9%) and moderate sulfur (0.90–0.99%). Blending trials demonstrated positive effects on coking performance. Lubelska coal increased plastic layer thickness from 13 to 16 mm in bulk-loaded blends and from 13 to 14 mm in stamp-charged blends, improving coke quality. In bulk blends, the coke reactivity index (CRI) decreased by 4.6% and coke strength after reaction (CSR) increased by 3.9%. In stamp-charged blends, CRI improved by 1.7% and CSR by 4.4%. These results confirm the geological value and industrial suitability of coal the Lubelska deposit Lviv-Volyn Coal Basin, emphasizing its potential as a valuable raw material for coking blends that yield high-quality coke under environmentally and operationally favorable conditions.