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Geochemical Characterization Of Maceral Concentrates From Herrin No. 6 Coal (Illinois Basin) And Lower Toarcian Shale Kerogen (Paris Basin), B Artur Stankiewicz, Michael A. Kruge, John C. Crelling

Department of Earth and Environmental Studies Faculty Scholarship and Creative Works

Density gradient centrifugation (DGC) is a physical method for the separation of sedimentary organic matter into its constituents. Using DGC, it is possible to prepare maceral concentrates from a single sample, which are amenable to microanalysis. DGC fractions from a coal sample from the Illinois Basin (Herrin No. 6, Upper Carboniferous) and from the kerogen of a marine shale sample from the Paris Basin (Lower Toarcian) were analyzed by flash pyrolysis-gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, after extraction by CH₂Cl₂.

Chemical differences between the coal DGC fractions are the easiest to recognize, indicating very distinctive biological precursors. For example, …