Abstract
The thermal decomposition of tin(II), lead(II), cadmium(II) and mercury(II) metal-alginate complexes has been studied using thermogravimetry (TG) and differential thermogravimetry (DTG) measurements. The TG curves showed three stages of weight loss, the DTG curves indicated the presence of a series of thermal stages associated with the TG curves. Dehydration of the coordinated water molecules occurred in the first stage, followed by decomposition of the dehydrated complexes in the next two stages. Thermal stability of these complexes in terms of the strength of chelation and coordination geometry is discussed.