The use of international standards for the classification of Southern Brazilian coal has shown wide variation in the determination of the real coal rank. The Economic Commission for Europe (ECE UN) has developed standard criteria for coal classification, based on the simultaneous consideration of its three main characteristics: composition, rank and grade. Supplementary analyses are also required. Samples from the main coal seam exploited in Leão, located in Rio Grande do Sul, Southeast Paraná Basin, were subjected to petrographic, proximate, bed moisture and calorific value determination, in order to be classified according to the UN ECE rules. The coal seams occur in the Rio Bonito, Permian (Artinskian-Kungurian) of the Paraná Basin. According to the International Classification (ECE-UN) the in-seam coals at Leão are in the parabetuminous coal range (or medium-rank coal D). The results were also compared with data from earlier studies focusing on aspects of coal rank.
Coal; International In-seam Classification; Leão Mine; Paraná Basin
