Vitrinite reflectance lab
Quantification of the degree of coalification and thermal maturity of sediments
Microscope image of dispersed vitrinites in a Rotliegend sandstone of Thuringia under reflected light and oil immersion. On the left Collinite (homogeneous, structureless), on the right Telinite (with distinct cell structures). Pale yellow grains in the centre of the picture represent framboidal pyrite.
G. Löwe during a measurement of the vitrinite reflectance at the reflected light microscope.
Image: Kamil UstaszewskiThe determination of the reflectance of vitrinite (a specific component of terrestrial coals) with respect to certain standards is an established standard method for the quantification of the degree of coalification and thermal maturity of sediments. The measurements are carried out under reflected light microscopy under monochromatic light (546 nm) on polished sections of solid coal components. Our system consists of the coupling of a SpectraVision photomultiplier tube (A.S. & Co.External link) and a Zeiss Imager D1m microscope on a passive vibration-damped laboratory stage. Oil immersion objectives with 50x and 100x magnification allow the detection of particles of different sizes, including dispersed particles. A Zeiss Axiocam 105 color video camera allows the photographic documentation of the microscopic observations.
Contact: K. Ustaszewski (E-Mail)
Theses
- Mareike Danigel, 2019: Rekonstruktion der Versenkungsgeschichte der Sächsischen Kreide auf Grundlage von Vitrinit- Reflektanzmessungen, 158 pp
- Christian Wagner, 2016: Mikroanalytische Untersuchungen zur thermalen Reife eines eozänen Sedimentbeckens der Pyrenäen, MSc-Arbeit, Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena, 44 pp.