Carrageenan (also called carrageen gum) is a kind of natural polysaccharide hydrophilic gum extracted from the sea plant red seaweed.  It is usually in the form of white or bit yellow powder, free of smell or taste.  Carrageenan gel is heat reversible.  Carrageenan can melt into solution after being heated and the solution can coagulate into get after being cooled.  Carrageenan has good water-solubility.  It begins to melt at 70°C and completely melts at 80°C.  It also has good stability, long-term placement may not reduce the intensity and viscosity.  It does not hydrolyze in neutral and alkaline solution, even being heated.  When used in combination with konjac gum, locust bean gum and xanthan gum,  it can functions as strong coordinator and reinforcer, distinctly altering the gel characteristics and making the gel elastic and water-keeping .

Carrageenan is extensively applied in food, medicine, chemical industry for daily supplies, biological chemistry, building paints, textile printing and agriculture.

In food industry, it can be used as gelling agent, thickening agent, stabilizing agent, floating agent and clarifying agent, and it can be used in products as soft candy, jelly, ham sausage, meat can, ice cream, beverage, condiment, milk, bionic food, jam, cake, beer, bread and pet food .

In pharmaceutical industry, it can be used as floating agent and dispersing agent, and can be used to produce capsule products.

In chemical industry for daily supplies, it can be used in toothpaste, detergent, cosmetics and air freshener.

In biological chemistry, it can be used as carrier of microorganism and fixed cell.

In other fields, it can be used as the thickening agent for water-based paint, ceramic glaze material and water color , the floating agent for black lead, the sizing material for textile products and paper, and the floating agent for herbicide and pesticide.