TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - INORGANIC CHEMISTRY - Preferred Material: The desulfurization material (m1) further comprises at least one copper compound. The desulfurization material (m1) comprises (wt.%): nickel (0.3-10), copper (0.3-10), alumina (Al2O3) (1-15), sodium (0.2-10), binder (0-10) and zinc oxide (ZnO) (balance). Preferred Method: The copper compound is mixed with the nickel compound and the support material. In the method of making the material (m1), the calcined desulfurization material is reduced. Preferred Components: The nickel compound is selected from nickel metal, nickel oxide, nickel hydroxide, nickel nitrate, nickel acetate or nickel hydroxycarbonate. The zinc oxide support material is selected from zinc oxide, zinc oxide/alumina mixture or zinc-alumina hydrotalcite, and further comprise at least one precursors that form zinc and/or aluminum oxide upon calcination. The copper compound is selected from copper metal, copper oxide, copper hydroxide, copper nitrate, copper acetate or copper hydroxycarbonate. The alkali metal compound is a sodium, lithium, potassium or cesium compound, (preferably oxide, carbonate, hydroxide, or hydrogen carbonate). EXAMPLE - A particulate desulfurization material (test) was prepared as follows: at full production scale, to a particulate zinc support material (100 parts by weight (pbw)) were added a calcium aluminate binder (7 pbw), copper hydroxycarbonate (2.2 pbw), nickel hydroxycarbonate (2.7 pbw) and sodium carbonate (0.8 pbw). The resulting powder was thoroughly mixed and then granulated using an orbital planetary mixer. The produced granules were then sieved and the on-size fraction (2.8-4.75 mm) calcined at 300 degrees C to form the mixed oxide. The sodium oxide (Na2O) loading of 0.65 wt% in the calcined product. A comparative particulate desulfurization material was prepared similarly without using sodium carbonate. A feed gas consisting of 20 vol.% hydrogen in natural gas containing methane, carbon dioxide, nitrogen, ethane and heavier hydrocarbons was passed at a pressure of 40 barg and a GHSV (gas hourly space velocity) of 1800 per hour through a bed of the granulated particulate desulfurization materials, and heated from ambient to 370 degrees C at a heating rate of 1 degrees C/minute, and then held at 370 degrees C for 20 hours; and the conversion of n-butane and n-pentane was calculated. The test/comparative material showed 7.9/57% conversion of n-butane, and 26.3/61.2% conversion of n-pentane.