Liptinite fluorescence

Macerals. Coal parts derived from different plant parts, are referred to as macerals (13). The maceral names end in "-inite" as do the mineral forms of rocks. The most abundant (about 85%) maceral in U.S. coal is vitrinite, derived from the woody tissues of plants. Another maceral, called liptinite, is derived from the waxy parts of spores and poUen, or algal remains. The liptinite macerals fluoresce under blue light permitting a subdivision based on fluorescence. A third maceral, inertinite, is thought to be derived from oxidized material or fossilized charcoal remnants of early forest fires. 

The technique also yields quantitative spectra that are characteristic of both the individual maceral type and the rank of the coal. It is now also well established that all of the liptinite macerals (coal components derived from the resinous and waxy plant material) and many of the vitrinite macerals (coal components derived from woody tissue of plants) will fluoresce, and that some recently discovered liptinite macerals can only be identified by their fluorescence properties. 

In a study of the fluorescence properties of the Brazil Block seam (Parke Co., IN), a somewhat different approach was used. In this case, about a hundred individual spectra were taken on a variety of fluorescing liptinite macerals. Although the macerals from which the spectra were tkane were not identified at the time of measurement, photomicrographs in both normal white-light and fluorescent light were taken for documentation. The spectral parameters for each spectrum were calculated and these data were subjected to cluster analysis to test the degree to which the... 

Teichmuller, M., and B. Durand, Fluorescence microscopical rank studies on liptinites and vitrinites in peat and coals and comparison with results of the rock-eval pyrolysis. Int. Jour, of Coal Geology, 1983, 2 y pp. 197-230. 

Liptinite This group is made up of substances that fluoresce... 

It should be noted that fluorescence measurements on different liptinite mac-erak vary with the rank The fluorescence intensity decreases as the red-to-green ratio increases with the rank, finally becoming so weak as to make measurements impossible [2,3]. 

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