Abstract
Coal properties are controlled by the following two factors : One is the maceral components and the other is the degree of coalification. In other words, even if coals in question indicate the same degree of coalification, their chemical and physical properties considerably vary one another when their maceral components are different. It is well known that virtrinite reflectance is the best single criterion for the degree of coalification covering the whole range of coal rank. Some authors have recently insisted that sporinite fluorescence is more leliable coal rank parameter than vitrinite reflectance in case of low rank coals. In this paper, to examine the relince of sporinite fluorescence as coal rank parameter, fluidity analysis of coals is newly performed and the data are analyzed in comparision with those of virinite reflectance, sporinite fluorescence and maceral components. The results of this study are as follows; 1) Vitrinite reflectance becomes low when degradinite content is high within one columnar samples, and vice versa. 2) variation of vitrinite reflectance depend on degradinite content and on difference of roiginal plant. 3) In dealing with the Japanese paleogene coals, sporinite fluorescence is more reliable parameter indicating the degree of coalification than vitrinite reflectance. 4) Maximum fluidity increases exponetially in proportion to the increases of degradinite content.