The catalytic activities of three catalytic precursors based on iron (FeSO4.7H(2)O, Fe2O3, and Fe-(CO)(5)) in direct hydroconversion of seven coals covering a broad range of characteristics are reported in this paper. Coal itself was the catalytic support of the iron species dispersed when iron sulfate (IS) was the precursor. When the catalyst precursor was iron oxide (from red mud, RM), coal and catalyst were directly mixed as powders, and for the iron pentacarbonyl (IF) as precursor, this was directly embedded on coal in inert atmosphere. With five of the seven coals, which were high sulfur content coals, Illinois No. 6, Mequinenza, and three Andorra-Arino, high conversions and THF-solubles were obtained even in the absence of catalyst at 10 MPa (H-2, cold) for 30 min. With the two other coals, the conversions, THF-solubles, and oils/asphaltenes ratios were enhanced by CS2 addition. The temperatures studied were 300, 350, 400, 425, and 450 degrees C. After reaching a maximum in conversion percentages at 400 or 425 degrees C, depending on the coal, a decrease takes place at the highest temperature studied on the THF-solubles accompanied by a considerable increase in oils formation. It seems that part of the formerly released asphaltenes, major components of the THF-solubles, at 450 degrees C are converted into oils and gas by hydrocracking reactions and into THF-insolubles by retrogressive reactions. The Mossbauer spectroscopy shows that pyrite is converted into pyrrhotite in all the processes, catalyzed or noncatalyzed, to a variable extent depending on the previous iron distribution, on the iron chemical stage in the catalyst precursors, and on the CS2 addition. The total sulfur content in the reactor is also an influencing factor. Important chemical and physical transformations of catalysts are observed by XRD and SEM-EDX during the reaction. The catalytic performance seems to be due to the transformation of pyrite into pyrrhotite, to the H2S homogeneous catalysis, and, when red mud was the catalytic precursor, to the sulfated iron oxides formation.