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On June 30, 2024, the technology for the hydrogenation isomerization of Fischer-Tropsch synthesized oil to produce Class III oils and lubricant base oils, developed by the research team led by Researcher Tian Zhijian and Researcher Wang Congxin from the Group for New Catalytic Materials and Processes for Alkane Conversion (DNL0802) in the Department of Fossil Energy and Applied Catalysis at the Dalian Institute of Chemical Physics, in collaboration with Shaanxi Future Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. and Karamay Huao Special Oil Products Technology Development Co., Ltd., passed the evaluation of scientific and technological achievements organized by the China Petroleum and Chemical Industry Federation (hereinafter referred to as the “Petrochemical Federation”). The evaluation meeting was chaired by Wang Xiujiang, deputy director of the Department of Science, Technology and Equipment at the Petrochemical Federation. Professor Shen Baojian from China University of Petroleum (Beijing) served as the chairman of the evaluation committee, while Professor-level senior engineer Li Chen from the Petroleum and Chemical Industry Planning Institute acted as the deputy chairman. At the meeting, Wang Congxin presented a work report, a research report, and a novelty search report titled “Hydroisomerization of FTO Synthesis Oil to Class III Oils + Technology for Lubricant Base Oils” ； Li Chen, the head of the expert panel for on-site evaluation of the pilot test, prepared the evaluation report. The evaluation committee reviewed the relevant assessment materials and held in-depth discussions with the project implementation units. It unanimously agreed that this technology features mild reaction conditions, high yields of liquid products and base oils, strong innovation, advanced performance indicators, and is at the international leading level; it is recommended to advance its industrial application as soon as possible. Our country is a major producer and consumer of lubricants, with an apparent annual consumption of 10 million tons. However, high-grade lubricant products of category III and above rely mainly on imports. The main components of F-T synthesis wax are long, straight-chain alkanes, which can be used to produce high-quality lubricant base oils with low viscosity, a high viscosity index, and overall performance meeting the III+ standards. However, Fischer-Tropsch synthesized waxes have a high content of normal alkanes, a high melting point, and a wide boiling range, making conversion difficult; it is thus hard to produce lubricant base oils with both a high viscosity index and a low pour point. At present, the FTO synthetic waxes produced by domestic coal chemical enterprises are mainly used to manufacture gasoline and diesel products through hydrocracking technology; as a result, large amounts of by-products such as naphtha and gaseous hydrocarbons are generated, wasting valuable resources that could be used to produce high-quality base oils for lubricants. Over the past decade, the teams led by Tian Zhijian and Wang Congxin have developed catalysts and processes for hydrogen isomerization of various FTO synthesized waxes to produce Group III+ lubricant base oils. Since 2022, collaboration with Shaanxi Future Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. has been underway to develop a specialized process using hydrocracked soft wax derived from Fischer-Tropsch synthesis as raw material. Between April and May 2024, pilot-scale tests were carried out at the pilot plant of Karamay Huao Special Oil Products Technology Development Co., Ltd. (with a maximum processing capacity of 1,000 tons per year). Base oil products of various grades were produced with high yields; among them, the 2CST base oil had a pour point of -51°C and a viscosity index of 115 ； The pour point of the 4cst base oil is -48°C, with a viscosity index of 137 ； The pour point of the 6cst base oil is -36°C, with a viscosity index of 146 ； The pour point of 8cst base oil is -30°C, with a viscosity index of 151 ； The other specifications of the base oil products also exceed those specified in the standard HG/T 6096-2022 Coal-based FTO Synthesis Lubricant Base Oils. This technology has received 40 invention patents, boasting complete independent intellectual property rights. Currently, the team is working in collaboration with Shaanxi Future Energy Chemical Co., Ltd. to advance its industrial application. This technology enriches the range of products available in the coal chemical industry. It provides an important technical solution for Chinese coal chemical enterprises to upgrade nearly 10 million tons of coal-based Fischer-Tropsch synthesized oil per year into products with higher added value, which is of great significance for promoting the transformation and upgrading of the coal chemical industry towards higher quality, greater diversity, and lower carbon emissions, as well as for achieving self-sufficiency in high-quality lubricant products in China.