The kinetics of selective hydrodechlorination of 1,2-dichloroethane into ethylene over a Pd-Ag/SiO2 catalyst was studied using an a priori experimental design with five independent variables-temperature and partial pressures of 1,2-dichloroethane, hydrogen, ethylene and hydrogen chloride. A Langmuir-Hinshelwood model including two types of active site and the 1,2-dichloroethane adsorption as the rate-determining step was found to fit correctly with experimental data, according to the analysis of variance and the analysis of pondered residuals. The study allowed for catalytic deactivation. The rigorous experimental and statistical approach followed to carry out such a kinetic study is explained in detail. (C) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.