The oxidative dehydrogenation of ethane to ethylene over NiO/TiO 2, NiO/γ Al 2O 3 and NiO/TiO 2 Al 2O 3 catalysts is studied in a fixed bed reactor. The results show that NiO/TiO 2 Al 2O 3 catalysts gave higher ethane conversion and selectivity for ethylene than NiO/TiO 2 and NiO/Al 2O 3 catalysts. The XRD patterns reveal that TiO 2 presents in the catalysts as anatase and NiO exists as both highly dispersed state and NiO crystallite. The TPR curves reveal that the NiO species related with the reduction peak between 400 ℃ and 500 ℃ contribute more to the complete oxidation of ethane and the NiO species related with the reduction peak between 500 ℃ and 600 ℃ produce more ethylene.
