The kinetic modeling and analysis for the catalytic decomposition of nitrous oxide into nitrogen and oxygen have been performed based on some experiments over a fixed bed of mixed metal oxide catalysts made from calcined hydrotalcite-type precursors. The hydrotalcite-type compounds were obtained by co-precipitation of various metal nitrates with the addition of the precipitants and under controlled pH. The reactions were carried out under atmospheric pressure in the temperature range 250-500 degreesC and space velocities were set between 15,000 and 60,000 h(-1). A reaction rate model derived from the mechanisms of adsorption and sequential decomposition of nitrous oxide has been applied to the decomposition operation of a fixed bed reactor. The mechanistic aspects of all the relevant reactions could be represented exactly for the operation range of temperature, concentration and parameters of reactor concern. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.