Ni-W/Al(2)O(3) catalysts were synthesized, characterized and tested for the steam reforming of ethanol from 300 to 600 degrees C. Addition of Ni and W on the alumina, decreased the surface area and increased the pore volume of the mesoporous materials synthesized. The reaction products obtained were: H(2), CO(2), C(2)H(4), CH(4), CO(2), CO and CH(3)CHO. A promoting effect of Ni-W was observed in the conversion of ethanol to H(2) from 15 to 30 wt.% Ni and 1 wt.% W. The selectivity to H(2) on the alumina with Ni-W, was between 66.53 and 68.53% at 550 degrees C, appearing some undesirable products, with low ratio of CO/CO(2). Reaction was studied on a fixed bed reactor at atmospheric pressure with an ethanol/water molar ratio of 1:4, from 300 to 600 degrees C. The catalysts were characterized by the thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA)Differential thermal analysis (DTA), N(2) physisorption (BET and BJH methods), X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), these techniques were used for characterization, before and after of the steam reforming. (C) 2009 Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.