Method of extracting carrageenan in the presence of hydrogen peroxide

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MANUFACTURING CARRAGEENAN WHICH COMPRISES, FORMING AN AQUEOUS ALKALINE SLURRY OF IRISH MOSS AND FROM ABOUT 1/2 PERCENT TO ABOUT 5 PERCENT OF AN ALKALINE MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CALCIUM HYDROXIDE, SODIUM HYDROXIDE, POTASSIUM HYDROXIDE AND AMMONIUM HYDROXIDE, TREATING THE ALKALINE SLURRY WITH BETWEEN ABOUT 50 AND ABOUT 3,000 P.P.M. OF HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, EXTRACTING CARRAGEENAN FROM THE IRISH MOSS AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 185*F. TO ABOUT 225*F., FROM ABOUT 25 PERCENT TO ABOUT 75 PERCENT OF THE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE BEING ADDED TO THE SLURRY DURING HEATING OF THE SLURRY TO THE EXTRACTION TEMPERATURE, THE REMAINDER OF THE HYDROGEN PEROXIDE BEING SLOWLY ADDED TO THE SLURRY DURING THE EXTRACTION, TREATING THE SLURRY AT THE END OF THE EXTRACTION WITH SODIUM SULFITE TO DECOMPOSE RESIDUAL HYDROGEN PEROXIDE, AND SEPARATING THE CARRAGEENAN CONTAINING SOLUTION FROM THE MOSS INSOLUBLES.