# Nanjing and Okayama teams show vitrinite and liptinite graphitize differently under high pressure

- Published: 2026-11-05 16:44 UTC
- Section: Planet › Earth sciences
- Tags: graphitization kinetics, vitrinite and liptinite, organic carbon at convergent margins, multi-anvil high-pressure apparatus, Raman spectroscopy of carbon, Alpine tectonic units, metamorphism carbon flux, post-peak decompression
- URL: https://realtech.media/news/rt-a3297de709444a4cda3ac784_nanjing_and_okayama/

**In high-pressure, high-temperature experiments, vitrinite ordered progressively while liptinite transformed more slowly at intermediate pressures. The authors built a precursor-specific kinetic model.**

![Nanjing and Okayama teams show vitrinite and liptinite graphitize differently under high pressure](https://sgzwpqqelzmajkcubgkl.supabase.co/storage/v1/object/public/rt-media/2026/11/2a1c78ca5b4071fe.jpg)
*James St. John, Wikimedia Commons, CC BY 2.0*

Researchers from Nanjing University, Okayama University and the Shale Gas Research Institute of PetroChina Southwest Oil & Gasfield Company reported in Nature Communications on 4 November 2026 that two organic precursors, vitrinite and liptinite, follow distinct graphitization pathways under high-pressure and high-temperature conditions [1]. The study concerns the fate of organic carbon at convergent margins, which depends in part on its transformation into relatively inert graphite [1]. According to the authors, the influence of precursor composition on this process had been poorly constrained.

## Two precursors, two graphitization pathways

Vitrinite undergoes progressive structural ordering, the authors report [1]. Liptinite transforms more slowly at intermediate pressures, which they attribute to inherited defects and inhibited structural coalescence [1]. Both precursors respond strongly to pressure, but their chemistry governs the transitions between the processes that ultimately limit transformation rates [1].

The experimental work was supported by a Kawai-type multi-anvil high-pressure apparatus at the Institute for Planetary Materials, Okayama University, and by Raman spectroscopy, as stated in the paper's acknowledgements. The first author is Yuhui Wang; Takashi Yoshino of Okayama University is among the co-authors, and the correspondence author is Suping Yao.

## Kinetic framework applied to Alpine units

The team developed a precursor-specific kinetic framework that integrates graphitization along geological pressure-temperature histories [1]. They applied it to representative Alpine tectonic units. The calculations indicate that graphitization can continue during post-peak decompression or reheating [1].

Precursor-dependent path integration also influences the modeled partitioning between graphite-like carbon and low-order reactive carbon fluxes [1]. The authors conclude that precursor chemistry and geological history jointly control carbon ordering, retention potential and flux partitioning at convergent margins [1].

The results come from laboratory experiments and kinetic modeling; the Alpine application is a calculation on representative tectonic units, not a direct measurement of carbon fluxes. The article is published open access under a CC BY-NC-ND 4.0 licence.

## Sources

1. [Nature Communications](https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-026-79246-6)

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Source: RealTech, realtech.media — https://realtech.media/news/rt-a3297de709444a4cda3ac784_nanjing_and_okayama/