Total Scanning Fluorescence Characteristics of Coals and Implication to Coal Rank Evaluation

Abstract EN

Total Scanning Fluorescence (TSF), as a kind of new fluorescence technique, has great significance and wide application in identifying hydrocarbon inclusions of reservoirs, hydrocarbon migration pathways and palaeo-current oil-water interfaces.

Total scanning fluorescence (TSF) is characterized by high efficiency, requiring low sample amount and high accuracy.

Vitrinite reflectance (Ro) is one of significant parameters for determining coal ranks, it cannot only reflect coalification features, but also provide a favorable indicator for coal ranks.

In order to establish a relationship between vitrinite reflectance (Ro) and the characteristic parameters derived from total scanning fluorescence (TSF), fourteen coal samples (coal powder without separating macerals) collected from Qinshui basin and Huaibei coalfield are tested by TSF technique and vitrinite reflectance (oil immersion), respectively.

It shows that TSF parameters are related to vitrinite reflectance value, although TSF parameters and fluorescence intensity of coals differ in Qinshui basin and Huaibei coalfield.

Research indicates that more factors should be taken into consideration for coal sample TSF testing in the future so as to obtain an empirical formula relationship between Ro and TSF parameters.