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Alginate

Alginate, also called alginic acid or algine, is a sticky copolymer (or gel) substance found abundantly in the cell walls of brown algae. Several types of alginate are extracted from seaweeds. Alginate can also be harvested from some types of bacteria.

Alginate is not soluble in water or organic solvents, but can be dissolved in sodium carbonate, sodium hydroxide, or trisodium phosphate. In color it ranges from white to a yellow-brown, and it can be found in filament, grainy, granular,
or powdered forms.

Alginate, when purified, makes an excellent antacid. Because of its nontoxic nature and unique dissolving characteristics, it's often used to make molds in dentistry or prosthetics. It is often used in the food industry as well as a thickener for soups, gravies, and jellies.

In the science lab, alginate can be used as a bacterial or cellular culture. It's often preferred to gels because it is much more stable than most gelatins.

Web Resources On Alginate

Molecular Structure of Alginate
Alginates and Seaweed

Book Resources On Alginate

Pseudomonas Infection and Alginates by Gacesa & Russell (Editors)
Properties of alginates by Richard H. McDowell

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