ABSTRACT

This paper is a preliminary study of newlydiscovered sphagnum brown coal from the Jingsuo basin, Yunan province, China. This coal is quite rich in montan wax reflecting the predominance of higher n-alkane homologues and aromatic triterpenoid components. The aromatic hydrocarbons are mainly composed of pentacyclic and tetracyclic di-, tri and tetraaromatic compounds, which are obviously diagenetically related to naturally-occurring higher plant-derived triterpenoids in the biosphere. Given the low maturity of the brown coal, it is evident that progressive aromatization of higher plant-derived triterpenoids can start at a very early stage of diagenesis.