Adsorption of SO2 on alumina

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.