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Gel strength rises roughly with the square of hydrocolloid concentration, so doubling the gum quadruples the strength. Divalent cations, particularly calcium, cross-link anionic gums such as alginate, low-acyl gellan and kappa carrageenan, raising strength substantially up to an optimum beyond which the gel becomes brittle and syneretic.
Concentration dependence
Gel strength proportional to concentration^2
Calcium effect
Strength = base strength x calcium enhancement factor
Alginate gels by calcium bridging between guluronate blocks, not by cooling. Without calcium there is no gel, and calcium availability rather than temperature controls the set.
No. Beyond the optimum the network becomes over-crosslinked, brittle and prone to syneresis. Sequestrants are used to control the rate and extent of calcium release.