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Hydroxyethyl Cellulose is a white, free-flowing granular powder derived from alkali cellulose and ethylene oxide (or ethylene chlorohydrin) through etherification. It belongs to the category of non-ionic soluble cellulose ethers, soluble in both hot and cold water.
This compound boasts an array of beneficial properties, including excellent thickening, suspending, dispersing, emulsifying, film-forming, and water-protecting capabilities. It also serves as a protective colloid. Due to these qualities, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose finds extensive applications across various industries such as oil exploitation, coating, building, medicine, food, textile, papermaking, and polymerization.
In the realm of daily chemical products like toothpaste, soap, lotion, cosmetics, and ointments, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose plays crucial roles as a thickener, dispersing agent, binder, and stabilizer. It enhances product density, lubrication, and mercerized appearance, thereby improving overall quality and performance.
Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Powder finds widespread applications across various industries, owing to its versatile properties:
Paint Industry: In the paint industry, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose enhances the coating performance of latex paint, especially high PVA paints. It prevents flocculation in thick paste paints and offers superior thickening effects. By reducing the dosage, it improves the cost-effectiveness of formulations and enhances the washing resistance of paints. Treated by delayed dissolution, it prevents caking and ensures hydration starts after adequate dispersion of the powder.
Daily Chemical Products: Hydroxyethyl Cellulose of daily-chemical grade exhibits excellent mildew-resistant properties, along with system thickening and rheology modifying functions. It also provides good water retention and film formation, resulting in products with full visual effects and necessary application performance. Surface-treated Hydroxyethyl Cellulose offers cold water solubility, allowing direct addition of dry powder into water. It ensures uniform dispersion, avoiding clumping and uneven dissolution, resulting in a uniform and continuous aqueous solution.
Oil Well Workover Fluid: Hydroxyethyl Cellulose serves as a thickener and cementing agent for workover fluid in oil wells. It provides a clear solution with low fixed content, reducing damage to the well structure. The fluid, containing Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, easily decomposes when exposed to acid, enzymes, or oxidizing agents, enhancing hydrocarbon recovery. Additionally, Hydroxyethyl Cellulose acts as a carrier for proppants in oil well fluids, facilitating easy decomposition during the processes mentioned above.
Applications | Description/Benefits |
Hydroxyethy Cellulose provides the latex paints especially high PVA paints with excellent coating performance. When the paint is thick paste, no flocculation will occur. | |
Applications in Oil Well Cementing and Drilling | Hydroxyethy Cellulose can be used as a thickener and cementing agent of workover fluid for oil wells. It helps to provide with the clear solution with a low fixed content, thus greatly reducing the damage to the structure of oil wells. |
Hydroxyethy Cellulose of daily-chemical grade has good mildew-resistant performance, system thickening and rheology modifying functions, as well as good water retention and film formation, and gives the final product full visual effects and all necessary application performance. |
Ethyl Hydroxyethyl Cellulose is derived from cellulose, where both ethyl and hydroxyethyl groups are attached to the anhydroglucose units through ether linkages. It is synthesized from cellulose through treatment with alkali, ethylene oxide, and ethyl chloride. The commercial product may further specify its properties based on the viscosity of its aqueous solutions.
Hydroxyethyl cellulose serves as a thickening and gelling agent derived from cellulose. It is utilized as an ingredient in various solutions, including household cleaning products, soaps, and shampoos. Hydroxyethyl cellulose thickens these solutions, reducing the amount of suds or foam produced. This enhances the cleaning efficacy as the colloids encapsulate dirt particles, which are then easily washed away with water.
Hydroxyethyl cellulose, often abbreviated as HEC, is a nonionic, water-soluble polymer available in the form of a white, free-flowing granular powder. It is synthesized by reacting ethylene oxide with alkali-cellulose under controlled conditions. Purified hydroxyethyl cellulose for personal care and cosmetic applications typically has a minimum purity of 95.0 percent (dry basis).
Solutions of hydroxyethyl cellulose exhibit pseudoplastic or shear-thinning behavior. This means that personal care products formulated with HEC dispense thickly from the container but spread easily on hair and skin, enhancing their application and usability.
Hydroxyethyl cellulose finds applications across various industries, including:
- Adhesives and sealants
- Advanced ceramics
- Building and construction
- Ceramics, pottery, and porcelain
- Commercial and institutional sectors
- Oil and gas technologies
- Metal castings and foundry
- Paint and coatings
- Personal care and cosmetics
- Pharmaceutical industry
- Pulp and paper manufacturing
Hydroxyethyl cellulose is a versatile gelling and thickening agent derived from cellulose, commonly utilized in cosmetics, cleaning solutions, and various household products. It is often combined with hydrophobic drugs in capsule formulations to enhance their dissolution in gastrointestinal fluids, a process known as "hydrophilization." Additionally, hydroxyethyl cellulose serves as the main ingredient in lubricants like KY Jelly and plays a crucial role in the formation of large bubbles due to its ability to dissolve in water while providing structural strength to soap bubbles.
There are different grades of hydroxyethyl cellulose, each with specific formulation requirements. Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) is a free-flowing, easily dispersible granular powder that mixes seamlessly into room temperature water without clumping or forming undesirable particles. As the exclusive distributor of this particular HEC product, our formulation techniques may differ from other hydroxyethyl cellulose products.
HEC offers exceptional skin feel and is an ideal ingredient for producing crystal-clear serums containing water-soluble active ingredients. It is also suitable for creating clear, water-soluble hair styling gels. Moreover, HEC enhances the functionality of emulsions by building viscosity and stability in the water phase. However, it is important to note that HEC is not an emulsifier and cannot emulsify oils into water.
Derived from cellulose, a renewable raw material, hydroxyethyl cellulose is a non-ionic rheology modifier. Its incorporation into personal care products alters the flow properties of water, offering various benefits such as the creation of clear serums, softer creams and lotions, and improved cleansing systems.
Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) is a commonly used thickening agent in cosmetics, chosen for its effectiveness and versatility. While there are several thickeners available, each with its own advantages and drawbacks, HEC stands out for its reliability and compatibility with various formulations.
Cetyl Alcohol and Cetearyl Alcohol are alternative thickeners that offer different sensory experiences, but they may not be suitable for everyone due to potential sensitivities. Xanthan Gum, commonly used in food and cosmetics, can also serve as a thickener, but it may present ionic incompatibility issues in certain products. In such cases, HEC provides a viable alternative, ensuring stability in oil-and-water emulsions, such as lotions.
HEC, derived from cellulose, plays a crucial role in various industries, including skincare, haircare, and household cleaning products. Its importance in medicine is evident in its use in hydrophobic drugs, facilitating their absorption in the gastrointestinal system when packaged in capsule form.
In modern times, HEC continues to enhance the quality of personal care and cleaning products, as it readily dissolves in water. It is a key ingredient in shampoos, body washes, moisturizing gels, and other bath products. Additionally, in the cosmetic industry, HEC is prized for its ability to thicken emulsions like concealers, foundations, and mascaras, improving their application and longevity on the skin.
Beyond personal care, HEC can also be found in household cleaners and other everyday items, highlighting its widespread use and versatility across various applications.
