OCCURRENCE AND DISTRIBUTION OF ORGANIC SULFUR IN MACERALS OF AUSTRALIAN COALS USING ELECTRON-MICROPROBE TECHNIQUES

The organic sulphur content of the individual macerals in Permian high volatile bituminous coals from the Gunnedah Basin of New South Wales, has been studied using an electron microprobe technique. Liptinite (c hiefly sporinite) in the coal has the highest organic sulphur content and inertinite (mainly semifusinite) the lowest; the vitrinite maceral s have intermediate sulphur contents. These variations are responsible for the relatively low overall organic sulphur in inertinite-rich coa ls, typical of Australian Permian deposits. Neither marine influence o n coal formation nor increases in coal rank appear to be associated wi th significant changes in organic sulphur of the individual macerals c oncerned. (C) 1998 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.