Protaweld® and Scogin® Alginates

Scogin® and Protaweld® Alginates are naturally occurring polysaccharide-based polymers that are extracted from seaweed that is harvested off of the Norwegian coast line.   Alginates are composed of two monomers: (1-4)-linked D-mannuronate (M) and l-guluronate (G).  In nature, alginate polymers consist of recurring G-G-G, M-M-M or M-G-M-G blocks in seaweed.  The ratio of these blocks in the polymer dictates the polymer properties for example,  alginate polymers with higher G-block content exhibit higher gel strength where as alginates with higher M-block content form softer gels. 

To produce commercial alginates like Scogin® and Protaweld®, brown seaweed is renewably harvested.  Once harvested, alginic acid is extracted from the seaweed it is treated with various salts including sodium, potassium, and calcium to produce sodium alginate, potassium alginate, and calcium alginate.

Scogin® and Protaweld® Alginates offer a wide variety of functional properties that are useful in industrial applications, such as:

-Cold / hot water solubility
-Gelling capabilities triggered by the addition of calcium
-Rheology modification agent / Thickener
-High water retention efficiency
-Improved suspension
-Water soluble film formation

One of the more commercially useful properties of alginates is the ability to form water based gels.  Alginates are reactive to divalent cations such as calcium.  When added to an alginate containing water-based solution, calcium ions enable ionic bonding between G-blocks in the alginate polymer.  The alginate polymer chains are pulled together trapping water between them in a gel matrix that resembles an "egg-box".  The formation of gels with sodium alginate, potassium alginate, and calcium alginate allows for encapsulation of various active ingredients in hydrogels.

Scogin® and Protaweld® Alginates are used primarily in industrial applications as binders, thickeners, and gelling agents.  The unique properties listed above make Scogin® and Protaweld® Alginates useful in a variety of industrial applications including welding rods, textile printing, paper, packaging, and water treatment.  In addition, their non hazardous nature makes Scogin® and Protaweld useful in the production of gels for medical and dental applications.  Selection of the proper grade of Scogin® or Protaweld® for a particular application is based on viscosity & gelation requirements, speed of hydration, and desired shear required for dispersion.  View the commercially available grades of sodium alginate, potassium alginate, and calcium alginate below for more details.