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The combination of different gellingand nongelling hydrocolloidsis known to yield complex systems with a wide range of mechanicalproperties. Here, the influence of the nongelling hydrocolloids sodium-alginateand xanthan on the gelation of agarose is investigated. The two polyelectrolytesdiffer significantly in their flexibility, leading to opposing effectson the thermomechanical properties of the resulting composite gels.The network structure of the agarose as well as viscoelasticity, gellingtemperature, and thermal stability of the gels are altered. Theseproperties are investigated by strain and temperature dependent oscillatoryrheological measurements as well as confocal laser scanning microscopy.A phenomenological model to describe the network formation of agarosein the presence of alginate or xanthan respectively is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]