Our laboratories in Victoria and South Holland are equipped with Gieseler Plastometers. The FRICO plastometer in Victoria has been used for three decades in the analysis of single coals and sequential blends, complementing petrography in monitoring product and blend consistency, and verifying process variables.

Frico Plastometer vs Preiser Plastometer

The next-generation Preiser plastometer in South Holland can measure to 180,000+ ddpm’s, which is vital for the accurate characterization of Ultra-Fluid Appalachian high-volatile coals, whose unique characteristics are caused by bitumen-soaked vitrinite , which are highly-fluorescent .

Orange-coloured fluorescing Vitrinite, containing yellow Liptinites. Blue light excitation (BG12), emission filter K510.

Ultra-Fluid Appalachian high-volatile coal showing orange-coloured fluorescing Vitrinite. Blue excitation (BG12) emission filter K510.

Some three decades ago, it was demonstrated by Creaney, Pearson & Marconi (1980), that it is not the volume of liptinites, but the volume of fluorescing vitrinite that correlates with maximum fluidity measured in Wolgan coal, from near Lithgow, New South Wales. Now, variations in maximum Gieseler fluidity of many West Virginia based coals is directly correlated with fluorescence intensity.