How do you dissolve alginic acid?
Answers
Answer:
It is used as a thickener in food, but in order for it to dissolve in water, it first needs to be converted into sodium alginate or another cation-alginate. Once it is dissolved in water it creates a viscous solution.
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Since alginic acid is insoluble in water, it alone does not function as a thickener or gelling agent. In order to dissolve alginic acid in water, it is necessary to neutralize by adding alkali.
Alginic acid is soluble by making a salt with monovalent cations such as Na and K. It becomes insoluble by making a salt with polyvalent cations like Ca and Fe.
Alginic acid does not dissolve in water. However, special processing can be used to make a type of alginic acid that easily absorbs water and swells.
This swelling type of alginic acid increases its apparent viscosity when it absorbs water and becomes a swelled liquid similar to starch paste.
Thus, alginic acid can be broadly divided into two types: swelling and non-swelling.
Alginic acid is known to be more susceptible to heat than sodium alginate and other alginate salts. Its molecular weight (degree of polymerization) decreases over a short period of time.
In order to maintain molecular weight, storage at the lowest temperature possible is required.