Editing Bituminous coal (section)

===Coking coal===
[[File:Primary coking coal 20180405 154027 1.jpg|thumb|Primary coking coal]]
{{Main|Coke (fuel)}}
Coking coal ([[metallurgical coal]] or "met coal") is used in the manufacture of [[steel]]. A good coking coal must have excellent agglomeration properties, a high carbon content, and a low content of sulfur, [[phosphorus]], and ash. The best unblended coking coal is high quality medium-volatile bituminous coal.<ref>{{cite web |title=Coal to make coke and steel |url=http://www.uky.edu/KGS/coal/coal-for-cokesteel.php |website=Kentucky Geological Survey: Earth Resources -- Our Common Wealth |publisher=University of Kentucky |access-date=28 November 2020}}</ref> However, since single coals with all the necessary properties are scarce, coking coal is usually a blend of high-volatile bituminous coal with lesser amounts of medium- and low-volatile bituminous coal.<ref name="TrippiEtal2021">{{cite journal |last1=Trippi |first1=M.H. |last2=Ruppert |first2=L.F. |last3=Eble |first3=C.F. |last4=Hower |first4=J.C. |title=Coking Coal of the United States—Modern and Historical Coking Coal Mining Locations and Chemical, Rheological, Petrographic, and Other Data from Modern Samples |journal=U.S. Geological Survey Open File Report |series=Open-File Report |date=2021 |volume=2020-1113 |page=2 |doi=10.3133/ofr20201113 |s2cid=234326219 |doi-access=free }}</ref>

{{anchor|Smithing coal}}
'''Smithing coal''' is bituminous coal of the highest quality, as free of ash and sulfur as possible, used to manufacture [[Coke (fuel)|coke]] for use by [[blacksmith]]s.<ref name="BMT"/>

Coking coal commands a higher price than coal used for energy production. {{as of|2020}}, coking coal in the U.S. sold for about {{val|p=$|127 |upl=short ton}}, compared with {{val|p=$|50.05 |up=short ton}} for bituminous coal generally. The cost of coking coal is about 3.5 times as high as the cost of coal used for electrical power (which includes lower ranks of coal, such sub-bituminous coal and [[lignite]], as well as noncoking bituminous coal.)<ref name=EIAPrice>{{cite web |title=Coal prices and outlook |website=Coal explained |url=https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/coal/prices-and-outlook.php |publisher=U.S. Energy Information Administration |access-date=9 November 2021 |date=2012}}</ref>