Aluminium dust is an energetic material widely used in chemical production, industrial manufacturing, construction, the military, and other fields. It not only has dust characteristics but also is highly combustible. In this study, the minimum ignition temperature (MIT) of aluminium dust clouds was investigated using a Godbert-Greenwald (G-G) furnace. A theoretical model for analysing aluminium dust clouds in the hot zone of the G-G furnace was established based on two-phase flow, heat transfer, and chemical reaction kinetic. The kinetic parameters of E-a and A in model were calculated by FWO method. A series of ignition experiments were achieved by G-G furnace. The ignition phenomenon, which initially emitted dazzling white flame and burned fiercely, was recorded by a high-speed camera. According to the comparison between the experimental and theoretical results for the MIT under different conditions, the theoretical model could predict the MIT exceptionally well. (C) 2019 Institution of Chemical Engineers. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.