在生油岩評估中作為判斷成熟度參數之一的鏡煤素反射率，已經受到普遍地應用，然而由於生油岩中有機質之含量較煤為低，且有機質顆粒較小，造成鏡煤素反射率在量測上的困難。若能將生物染色的技術，應用在煤/生油岩的煤素質研究中，即可更快速且準確地判斷生油岩內煤素質材料之種類及成熟度。本研究先利用煤樣，以1:2鐵氰化鉀與氯化鐵為染劑，進行染色工作，藉由在油浸顯微鏡下觀察，染色前後煤樣中各煤素質顏色的變化情形，及染色前後，煤樣之鏡煤素反射率變化情形，對於染色技術中染色時間作評估後，再針對不同成熟度煤樣、油母質及煤頁岩三種材料的樣品，進行染色工作，以瞭解染劑對不同材料的樣品染色前後之煤素質顏色及鏡煤素反射率變化情形。 染色實驗建立中，染色時間以50分鐘最為合適，可將煤樣之煤素質區分開來，鏡煤素染色後顏色為亮黃色。染色技術在實際應用於不同樣品時，其染劑在不同成熟度之樣品上皆可染色，亦根據染色前後之煤素質的顏色變化，方便且快速地找出所要觀察的煤素質。配合樣品染色前後之鏡煤素反射率的平均值分佈之特性： (染色)= 0.94 (未染色)+ 0.26(%)，可將染色技術應用於生油岩之成熟度的評估上，藉由染色技術來克服量測生油岩中鏡煤素反射率所遭遇的困難。 In order to identify macerals in a quick and easy way, a 2:1 FeCl3 and K3Fe(CN)6 mixing solution is applied as a dye for coal. After series of dyeing experiments, the standard dyeing procedures were established. Furthermore, the vitrinite reflectance data were measured after dyeing, then calibrated back to their original value, so as to estimate their maturity correctly. The experiment results indicate that 50 minutes is the most proper soaking time in dye. The same dye was applied on coal , kerogen and coaly shale, respectively so as to evaluate the suitability of this technique in solving the problem of measuring maturity of source rocks. The results indicate that 1) the color of vitrinite turned to bright yellow after dyeing；2)the reflectance of vitrinite after and before dyeing can be expressed in the equation： (dyeing)= 0.94 (no-dyeing)+ 0.26(%)；3)the dyeing technique can be applied on the source rocks.
