PHYSICAL AND CHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF BITUMINOUS COAL CONSTITUENTS (MACERALS)

Investigation of bituminous-coal macerals, accomplished through the Institut für Brennstoff Chemie (Fuel Chemistry Institute) of Aachen, is summarized here. Coal from five Ruhr coal beds was processed to obtain pure macerals in quantities sufficient to study their individual structure and chemical composition. Vitrinite, micrinite and exinite were recovered accordingly, and their chemical and physical properties studied; detailed, graphical interpretation of these data has been included. Chemical composition is derived for vitrinite, exinite, micrinite, and fusinite individually. Chemical structure of the macerals is discussed in relation to aromatically bound carbon content. It has been possible thus far, to determine maceral properties with respect to coalification rank as well as to indicate differentiation of these properties in macerals from the same coal bed. --D. D. Fisher.