“…Composite materials which combine sodium alginate and clays are currently being investigated in applications as diverse as drug delivery (Pongjanyakul and Puttipipatkhachorn, 2007;Wang et al, 2013;Iliescu et al, 2011), heavy metal adsorption (Li et al, 2011) and nano-composite films (Yang et al, 2009). Several studies have also discussed the use of alginate in agricultural applications where the alginate-clay interactions are used to increase the stability of soil aggregates or to aid plant growth (Quastel and Webley, 1947;Emerson, 1956;Schneider, 1977;Orts et al, 2007;Bernu et al, 2010).…”