Transformation of wood components during peatification and early coalification

Conference · Tue Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1985 · Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States)

OSTI ID:6135785

Stout, S; Spackman, W

Wood has long been known to contribute to the formation of peats and coals but the physical and chemical properties of the materials contributed are not well understood. Representative living and peatified woods were collected from southeastern US swamps and compared to their lignitic equivalents from the Quaternary Trail Ridge lignitic peat and the Tertiary Brandon lignite. Conventional transmitted light, crossed-polarized light, and blue light illumination were employed to distinguish numerous peatified and lignitized products resulting from the wood's peatification and early coalification. Cell walls were usually observed to be: (1) altered, (2) degraded or (3) gelified, each term implying different physical properties such as cell wall integrity, degree of birefringence, and the intensity and color of cell wall fluorescence. This study has revealed that significant differences exist in the reactions to peatification and early coalification between: softwoods and hardwoods, the different xylem cell types, and the different cell wall layers. Optical evidence is presented to show that both the cellulose and lignin in xylem cell walls contribute to peats and lignites in various physical forms.

• Research Organization: Penn State Univ., University Park (USA)
• OSTI ID: 6135785
• Report Number(s): CONF-8510489-
• Conference Information: Journal Name: Geol. Soc. Am., Abstr. Programs; (United States) Journal Volume: 17
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

01 COAL, LIGNITE, AND PEAT
011000* -- Coal
Lignite
& Peat-- Reserves
Geology
& Exploration
BROWN COAL
CARBOHYDRATES
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CELLULOSE
COAL
COALIFICATION
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
LIGNIN
LIGNITE
MACERALS
MATERIALS
OPTICAL PROPERTIES
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
ORGANIC MATTER
ORIGIN
PEAT
PETROGRAPHY
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POLYSACCHARIDES
SACCHARIDES
WOOD