Abstract-The poisoning kinetics of thiophene on Ni-kieselguhr catalysts and the deactivation behavior of nonisothermal fixed bed reactors have been studied experimentally using benzene hydrogenation as a model exothermic reaction. The time dependent axial temperature profiles in the reactors were measured and compared with values evaluated from a dispersion model , the parameters of which have been determined in separate experimentation.Poisoning kinetics were measured in a series of differential reactor experiments at atmospheric total pressure, thiophene partial pressures of 0·037-0·19 torr, hydrogen to benzene molar ratios >8/1 and temperatures from 6O--180·C. Excellent agreement was found with a power law equation for the rate of change of activity with time , fir st order in catalyst acti vity and in thiophene concentration , with an experimental activation energy of 1080 kcal/kmole. This correlation of poisoning kinetics, however, was not able to predict the propagation of the zone of activity (hot-spot) on poi soning of an integral fixed bed reactor. Initial (steady state) temperature profiles were modeled satisfactorally , but the rate of migration of the hot spot was found experimentally to be more rapid than that predicted from the correlation of poisoning kinetics. A ·semi-empirical two site deactivation model is shown to resolve the discrepancy.