Separation and fluorescence characterization of coal macerals: Final report, July 1, 1985-February 28, 1986. [Micronized coal]
The recent use of micronization and density gradient centrifugation (DGC) has resulted in the successful separation of coal into its constituent maceral groups; liptinite, vitrinite, and inertinite. However, little petrographic work has been done to characterize these separated substances. The overall objective of this project was to establish a density gradient centrifugation facility for the separation of coal macerals and to initiate a long-term program of characterizing the physical and chemical properties of maceral concentrates from a variety of coals of different age, rank and origin. The results indicate that the individual macerals in the same coal are being liberated from the coal matrix in the micronization process and that they are being separated at different densities in the DGC process. For example, in one Illinois Basin coal density fractions consisting of cutinite (1.08 gm/ml), resinite (1.11 gm/ml), sporinite (1.17 gm/ml), vitrinite (1.27 gm/ml), semifusinite (1.37 gm/ml), and fusinite (1.46 gm/ml) were identified. The liptinite fractions were studied in fluorescent light in which sufficient petrographic detail could be discerned to identify each maceral type. These results were confirmed by fluorescence spectral analysis which showed that the separated macerals had the same spectra as in the raw coal. In other coals both vitrinite and pseudovitrinite macerals were isolated respectively from clarain and vitrain lithotypes in the same sample. Pseudovitrinite had a higher density than the vitrinite. Fusinite and semifusinite from the same coals were also separated. Another result of these studies is that the density profile, a plot of frequency vaersus density, appears to be directly proportional to the maceral composition and, thus, can be used to characterize coal similar to the way that the reflectance histogram is now used. 16 refs., 17 figs., 7 tabs.
- Research Organization:
- Southern Illinois Univ., Carbondale (USA). Dept. of Geology
- DOE Contract Number:
- FC22-83FE60339
- OSTI ID:
- 6964047
- Report Number(s):
- DOE/FE/60339-T30; ON: DE87002783
- Resource Relation:
- Other Information: Portions of this document are illegible in microfiche products
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Separation and characterization of coal macerals: accomplishments and future possibilities
Distribution, abundance, and maceral content of the lithotypes in the Beulah-Zap bed of North Dakota
Related Subjects
COAL
PETROGRAPHY
MACERALS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
DENSITY
FLUORESCENCE
SEPARATION PROCESSES
CARBON
CENTRIFUGATION
COAL RANK
COMMINUTION
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
HYDROGEN
NITROGEN
ORIGIN
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
DATA
ELEMENTS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
INFORMATION
LUMINESCENCE
MATERIALS
NONMETALS
NUMERICAL DATA
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
010600* - Coal
Lignite
& Peat- Properties & Composition