Variations in coal maceral chemistry with rank advance in the German Creek and Moranbah Coal Measures of the Bowen Basin, Australia, using electron microprobe techniques

In contrast to vitrinite, fusinite and inertodetrinite have significantly higher but somewhat more constant carbon contents, varying only from around 81% to 93% C over the rank range studied. Oxygen in these macerals decreases from around 12% to a little over 2% with the same degree of rank advance. Sulphur and possibly nitrogen also appear to be significantly lower in fusinite and inertodetrinite than in the vitrinite of the same coal samples. Semifusinite is somewhat more variable in composition, with characteristics intermediate between those of the fusinite/inertodetrinite and those of the vitrinite in the same coal over the rank range studied.