FTIR MICROSPECTROSCOPY OF PARTICULAR LIPTINITE-(LOPINITE-)RICH, LATE PERMIAN COALS FROM SOUTHERN CHINA

The Late Permian coals from Southern China are unique in their high co ntent of lopinite (liptinite) and elemental hydrogen and typically pro duce high yields of tar. Typical of the Late Permian coals of Southern China, the coals used in this study show special petrographic and che mical characteristics, as well as significant oil-producing potential, Studies of these coals and of their content of the lopinite maceral w ill help to explain the genesis of both the lopinite maceral and of th e oil-producing potential of the coals. In this study, an FTIR spectro meter was used in the standard transmission mode to generate the IR sp ectra of the whole coal. An FTIR spectrometer, equipped with a microsc ope in the reflectance mode, was used to analyze the chemical structur e of individual coal macerals, including lopinite, vitrinite, semifusi nite and inertinite. The chemical structure of lopinite is characteriz ed by its higher content of longer and less branched aliphatic side ch ains and distinct C=O groups. The oil-producing potential of the coals is attributed to their higher content of lopinite.