Comparison of the Geochemical Characteristics of “Barkinite” and other Macerals from the Dahe Mine, South China

Abstract

Late Permian coal samples from the Dale Mine, South China, were separated into macerai groups in order to compare the characteristics of “barkinite” with vitrinite, inertinite, and sporinite. The maceral groups were extracted and analysed by GC-MS. The extract residues (kerogen) were analysed by open-system pyrolysis. The results indicate that “barkinite” has geochemical characteristics different from those of vitrinite, inertinite, and sporinite. The significant differences lie in the compound contents obtained by open-system pyrolysis method. The contents of saturated and aromatic compounds from the “barkinite” sample are also different from the vitrinite, inertinite, and sporinite samples, but these differences are observed only in their compound quantities.