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The conversion of ethanol to 1,3-butadiene was carried out using a treated Zr-based catalyst at a temperature of 350–400 °C with different weight hourly space velocities in a fixed bed reactor. The catalysts used are commercial, but they underwent pretreatment. The commercial catalysts used were ZrO₂, Zr(OH)₂, 2% CaO-ZrO₂, 30% TiO₂-ZrO₂, 50% CeO₂-ZrO₂ and 10% SiO₂-ZrO₂ in their modified or treated form. The characterizations of the catalysts were carried out using XRD, XPS, and TGA. The results indicated that ethanol conversion, yield, and selectivity of 1,3-butadiene operated weight hourly space velocity of 2.5 h⁻¹ using 10% SiO₂-ZrO₂ were 95%, 80%, and 85%, respectively, at 350 °C. Using 50% CeO₂-ZrO₂ converted 70% ethanol with a 1,3-butadiene yield of 65%. The best Zr-based catalyst was 10% SiO₂-ZrO₂ as it gives a steady 1,3-butadiene yield, the Si-composition with ZrO₂ gives a good catalytic pour of the catalyst-bed structure; hence, the life span was good. Using 30% TiO₂-ZrO₂ has an ethanol conversion of 70% with a 1,3-butadiene yield of 43%.