ON THE CORRELATION BETWEEN GERMANIUM AND THE PETROGRAPHIC CONSTITUENTS OF COAL FROM THE FLOTATION SEPARATION OF TERTIARY LIGNITE OF MAOMING BASIN

This paper centers on the quantitative study of the correlation between germanium and the petrographic constituents of coal experimentally. Through the flotation separation of the lignite of this basin by heavy liquid, sixty-six separation specimens in the various specific gravity ranks ( s. g. r ) , namely<1.35, 1.35-1.45, 1.45-1.55, 1.55-1.59, >1.59, are obtained, the detection of their content of germanium and the determination of their polished sections of petrographic coal indicate that the distribution of germanium in the lignite is not only various according to the petrographic types of coal, but also is controlled by the different s. g. r. and the various petrographic constituents of coal, in this aspect there is a regular successive variance. On the basis of the distributive characteristics and the variances of the content of the inorganic and organic components as vell as the microlithotypes of these specimens, and according to their corresponding tenor of germanium, they can be divided into three groups. 1. <1.36 s.g. r. : The organic components amount to 95.2%, the vitrintes make up 93.5% of the former, the stable components include microsporinite, cuiticle and retinite etc.. Fusain hasn't been seen. The average content of germanium is 48.4 ppm. 2.>1.59 s. g. r. : The inorganic components amount to 89.3%, most of them are argillaceous, with a few pyrites, quartz and quartzose detritus, the organic components are all vitrinites. Stable component and fusinite can be found. The average content of germanium is only 7.5ppm. 3. 1.35-1.59 s.g.r. : Along with the raise of s.g r.,the inorganic components increase progressively, but the organic components, the vitrinites and the stable components as well as germanium decrease successivelly, nevertheless a trace of the fusite exists. Except the very few abnormities caused by the influence of the stable components, the content of germanium and various components lie between the above-mentioned two groups. Therefrom it suggests that the content of germanium is surely relative to the organic components closely and has a little to do with the inorganic components. Germanium exists mainly in the vitrinites of the lignite, namely in the gelatinous components, and is very rare in the stable components and the fusites group.Therefore that the vitrain and clarain turn into the enriched bodies of germanium should be attributed to their abundant gelatinous fabric. Finally, through the study of the germanium-bearing conditions of modern higher plants and lower plants in peat bog, and the analysis of the geological characteristics concerned, the machanism of the enrichment of germanium in coal is pursued tentatively.