Effect of interaction of aluminum hydroxycarbonate gel and magnesium hydroxide gel on acid neutralization

Acid neutralization by mixtures of aluminum hydroxycarbonate gel and magnesium hydroxide gel differs from the sum of the acid neutralization of each gel. Acid neutralization by magnesium hydroxide gel in the mixture is not observed until after a substantial portion of the aluminum hydroxycarbonate gel has reacted with acid, even though magnesium hydroxide gel is the faster reacting of the two gels. It is hypothesized that amorphous aluminum hydroxycarbonate forms a coating on the crystalline magnesium hydroxide particles due to electrostatic attraction. This coating prevents protons from reaching the highly reactive magnesium hydroxide until the coating is dissolved by the acid neutralization of aluminum hydroxycarbonate.