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The adsorption of SO2 on alumina used in the aluminium industry, the so-called smelter-grade alumina, was studied in the temperature range 15–120°C. It was found that at temperatures lower than 40°C, sulphur dioxide was bonded to alumina reversibly by physical forces, and the adsorption could be described satisfactorily by the Langmuir adsorption isotherm. The heat of adsorption was estimated to be −33 kJ mol−1. At temperatures ranging from 80°C to 120°C, which prevail in dry scrubbers in the aluminium industry, the heat of adsorption was determined to be −56 kJ mol−1. When SO2 was adsorbed at temperatures higher than 80°C, about 30 % of the SO2 could not be desorbed even if the samples were heated up to 250°C. In the presence of SO2 and oxygen, the formation of sulphate was observed at temperatures above 90°C.

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Nucleation of Mg(OH)2 was investigated by measuring the electrical conductivity and pH of the Mg(NO3)2 reaction solution to which ammonia containing different amounts of NH4NO3 was added. NH4NO3 increases solubility and slows down precipitation of Mg(OH)2 in the system. Data are presented on the influence of NH4NO3 on the solubility of Mg(OH)2 at 25°C. The phenomena observed can be explained by the solvation effect of nitrate ions brought to the system with the addition of ammonium nitrate, which was proved by NMR spectroscopy. When the mass fraction of NH4NO3 exceeds 15 %, homogeneous nucleation does not proceed. It was found that seeding of the system with Mg(OH)2 crystals only influenced the rate of Mg(OH)2 crystallisation, not the size and shape of the crystals. Primary crystals are smaller than 0.1 μm. The large difference in the surface energy of individual crystal planes leads to oriented agglomeration. This process is accelerated in a pressure reactor at 130°C. The resulting polycrystals are hexagonal plates 0.2 μm thin with a diameter of 1–2 μm. Under variable reaction conditions, agglomerates as big as 30 μm can be prepared.