Sodium Alginate Powder Raw Material

Sodium alginate is a byproduct obtained after extracting iodine and mannitol from brown algae like kelp or giant kelp. Its molecules are made up of β-D-mannuronic acid (β-D-mannuronic, M) and α-L-guluronic acid (α-L-guluronic, G) linked by (1→4) bonds. It's a natural polysaccharide with the stability, solubility, viscosity, and safety needed for pharmaceutical excipients. It was first described in a patent application in 1881 by the British chemist Edward CC Stanford. Sodium alginate is the sodium salt of alginic acid, with the empirical formula (C6H7O6Na)n. Physically, it's powder or fibrous, white to slightly yellow, and nearly tasteless. So far, brown algae remain the main source for extracting sodium alginate. Sodium alginate has the following features: 1. Water solubility: It dissolves easily in water, forming a thick colloidal solution. 2. Biocompatibility: Non-toxic and highly biocompatible, it's widely used in the biomedical field. 3. Film-forming: It can form elastic and tough gel films. 4. Stability: It's quite stable under both acidic and alkaline conditions. 5. Thickening: It has strong thickening properties and has been widely used in food, paper-making, and cosmetics industries for a long time.