Newly developed Ni-W/USY-Al_2O_3 hydrocracking catalyst was designed and prepared based on fundamental research in order to produce lighter fractions from middle and heavy distillates of coal-derived liquids. The catalyst developed showed considerable improvements in hydrocracking activity and initial deactivation, as compared to commercially available catalysts. However, precise characterization revealed changes in local structure of active metal and accumulation of carbonaceous material on the catalyst, indicating other possibilities for improving catalytic performance.
