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Applied to all petrologic units seen in microscopic sections of coal, as
distinct from the visible units seen in the hand specimens. Comparable in
rank to mineral as used in petrography. Thus, macerals are organic units
composing the coal mass, being the descriptive equivalent of the inorganic
units composing rock masses and universally called minerals. Individual
macerals have the termination -inite; i.e., vitrinite, as the organic unit
making up the lithologic specimen, vitrain. Three groups are recognized:
(1) vitrinites; (2) exinites; and (3) inertinites. AGI
Source:
Dictionary of Mining, Mineral, and Related Terms
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