Carbon black supported Pd catalysts were prepared by an incipient wetness impregnation method and tested for benzene hydrogenation. The catalytic activity is subjected to serious deactivation. However, the deactivation is found to depend on the test procedure. When the reaction is performed under constant flow of benzene and hydrogen during a stepwise temperature-ascending-descending test sequence, no deactivation is observed. Deactivation occurs when the reaction gas is replaced by a He purge during temperature changes in the test sequence. The Pd/C catalysts prepared from different precursors show similar activation energy and similar TOF as oxide-supported Pd catalysts when deactivation is confined by applying suitable experimental procedures. EXAFS, TEM, and TGA results suggest that both Pd sintering and carbonaceous residue are responsible for the deactivation. (c) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.