Functional group dependent dielectric properties of sulfated hydrocolloids extracted from green macroalgal biomass

Dielectric properties of aqueous solutions of sulfated hydrocolloids (ulvan and rhamnan sulfate) extracted from green macroalgal biomass were studied in a frequency range of 100 MHz–10 GHz. Counterion exchange of native hydrocolloids (mixture of Na+, Mg2+ and Ca2+) to H+-form showed significant increase in loss factor due to ionic conduction. On the other hand, desulfations decreased their loss factors. The results suggested that ionic conduction of H+ has significant contribution to loss factors. Additionally, H+-form hydrocolloids showed significant improvement in hydration, which might also affect the dielectric property of the solution by reducing the amount of free water. The viscosity, however, did not show apparent relevance with the dielectric property.