Abstract
Coal petrography is the study of the organic constituents of sedimentary rocks, originally, by optical microscopy of thin sections (transmitted light) or of polished blocks (reflected light). Fluorescence microscopy is used to complement the more traditional approaches. The latter technique is based on the ability of organic matter to absorb UV light and then emit (fluorescence) at longer wavelengths in the visible spectrum. This chapter presents several well-regarded works on the formation of coals and their macerals and on relationships between their chemical structures, morphologies and pathways of geochemical maturation. ‘Macerals' are the organic components of coals, defined in terms of their morphologies, as observed by optical microscopy. Broadly, these morphological features correspond to the structures of original plant material deposited in peat bogs. With maturation, the properties of the different biomasses tend to converge toward a narrower spectrum. The microscopically identifiable morphological features of macerals correlate reasonably well with trends in measured chemical properties, such as elemental composition (aliphatic/aromatic content) and observed pyrolytic behavior. Based on these works, the chapter evaluates methods for examining the thermal behavior of coals.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Solid Fuels and Heavy Hydrocarbon Liquids: Thermal Characterisation and Analysis
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
