Ni/SiC and Ni/Al2O3 catalysts were prepared by impregnation method for total methanation. The 120h stability tests of the catalysts were conducted at 500 degrees C and 3 MPa with a syngas of H-2/CO = 3. The catalysts before and after reaction were characterized by N-2 adsorption-desorption, H-2-TPR, XRD, TPO, TG-DSC, SEM, and TEM. The results show that the Ni/SiC catalyst is more stable than the Ni/Al2O3 catalyst. Compared to the Ni/Al2O3 counterpart, the Ni/SiC catalyst is more resistant to sintering and carbon deposition and easier to regenerate in the methanation reaction due to the high thermal conductivity of SiC and the weak metal-support interaction. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.