Preparation of NiW catalysts with alumina and zeolite Y for hydroprocessing of coal tar

γ-alumina supported Ni-W catalysts with different zeolite Y contents were prepared and characterized by N₂ sorption, XRD, H₂-TPR and NH₃-TPD. Their catalytic activities were investigated on a trickle bed reactor by hydroprocessing cresol-naphthalene model compounds in n-heptane solution. The results show that all the catalysts exhibit excellent hydrodeoxygenation and hydrogenation activities, while the isomerization and ring-opening products increase with the addition of zeolite, and trans-decalin is preferred with acid sites. A better catalyst was selected for hydroprocessing a low temperature coal tar fraction and the product oil was analyzed by GC-MS and elementary analysis. Phenols and di-aromatics in the tar are almost converted into indans, cycloalkanes and hydro-aromatics. In the meantime, heteroatoms, especially S and O atoms, reduce remarkably.