Description
Predominantly used as a thickener in both food and skincare products. It is not self-gelling but cross-linking it with borax or calcium will cause it to gel. It has nearly 8 times the water thickening potency of cornstarch so only a small quantity is sufficient. It is not affected by ionic strength or pH and remains stable at a pH. of 5-7 generally but extreme pH levels such as 3 at temperatures exceeding 50°C will cause it to degrade. It is insoluble in most hydrocarbon solvents.