Abstract: The development of indirect coal liquefaction technology is an effective way to alleviate the shortage of oil and promote the clean utilization of coal. In this paper,the early classical F-T synthesis reaction mechanisms,such as carbide mechanism,CO insertion mechanism,intermediate polycondensation mechanism,and recent proposed C2 active species mechanism,carbide theory of resorption of dilute hydrocarbons,network reaction mechanism and so on were introduced. The rationality and limitation of these reaction mechanisms were pointed out. The characteristics and research progress of F-T synthetic reaction kinetic model such as CO consumption rate kinetic model and detailed kinetic model were discussed. The kinetics model of CO consumption can predict the conversion of CO well without considering the growth process of carbon chain. The detailed dynamic model contains the reactant consumption rate and product distribution information,but its reliability is based on the F-T synthesis reaction mechanism. The characteristics of iron-based catalysts and cobalt-based catalysts in industry as well as the research progress in phase transition and catalytic mechanism were reviewed. The research and development progress of new catalysts such as composite catalysts,multi-metal catalysts and new support catalysts were discussed. In this paper,the development course of coal indirect liquefaction process at home and abroad was introduced. The problems and improvement measures in industrial application were analyzed. The characteristics and technological process of indirect coal liquefaction developed by Shanxi Coal Chemical Institute and Yankuang Mining Group in China were emphatically discussed. The research focus and development direction of F-t synthesis reaction mechanism,reaction kinetics,catalyst and coal indirect liquefaction process in the future were discussed and prospected.