This work is devoted to the study of the influence of aluminum oxide content on the activity of cobalt catalysts in the reaction of selective hydrogenation of acetylene to ethylene. Cobalt catalysts modified with aluminum oxide having size between 50 to 500 nm were synthesized. Chemical contents and structure of carrier were investigated. The catalytic activity of 5 % Со /clay and 5% Co/SiAl catalysts at acetylene hydrogenation was studied in the temperature range 100-180 , with a ratio of 1:2 of acetylene and hydrogen. The ethylene yield is 87.8 % in modifying the cobalt catalyst with aluminum oxide, whereas with the same process parameters, the ethylene yield is 72 %. 5 % Cobalt catalysts modified with 1.5 % aluminum oxides are more active in hydrogenation acetylene process than 5 % Со /clay 450 ℃ catalyst.