Abstract
The microscopic and chemical evolution of wood from peats and lignites were investigated in order to achieve a better understanding of the processes associated with the origin of cell-wall-derived huminite macerals in low-rank coals and the relationships between maceral appearance and maceral chemistry. Correlations between the observed microscopic and chemical trends were determined using canomical correlation analyses. These analyses showed that: (1) the birefringence intensity displayed by huminite macerals and pre-macerals generally decreases during peatification and early coalification as their carbohydrate fractions become progressively depolymerized and hydrolyzed (primarily through the action of microbial and fungal enzymes); (2) the intrinsic color of cells walls becomes progressively during peatification and early coalification as the phenolic components of lignins become increasingly dominant and oxidized; and (3) the primary fluorescence intensity of huminite macerals and pre-macerals decreases during peatification and early coalification due to changes in their electronic configurations arising from the partial depolymerization and side-chain modification of the lignin-derived polymers that comprise them. Similarly, changes in the general spectral fluorescence distribution of huminites and pre-huminites (for example the peak wavelength and Q ratio), are also broadly correlated with the aforementioned lignin modifications.
Published Version
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