Methyl Cellulose MC
What it is:
GinShiCelare types of cellulosederivatives known as cellulose ethers,specifically Methyl Cellulose(MC), Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose(HPMC), Hydroxyethyl Cellulose(HEC), and Hydroxy Ethyl MethylCellulose (HEMC) made by steps below:
- Soak the pure cellulose (purified cotton / wood pulp) in an aqueous caustic soda and organic solvent mix.
- React the resultant alkaline cellulose with etherifying agents, such as alkyl halides or alkylene oxides,
- Recover the solvents and wash the product,
- Dry and mill the ethereified product.
What it does:
GinShiCelcelluloseethers provides thickening power, water retention ability,consistencydevelopment, suspension power, emulsion development,protective colloid,film formation, lubrication, solutionstabilization, and various otherfunctions.
How it functions:
Uponeachcellulose ether molecule are the cellulose chain, and the ethergroup,such as the methoxy, the hydroxypropoxy, the hydroxyethoxygroups. Themethoxy group, hydroxyethoxy group, and hydroxypropoxygroups act aswater gatherers, although their ability to gather watervary greatly bytype and number. These water gatherers, which areattached to aentangled backbone of cellulose chain, form a temporarybond between thewater molecule and itself. In doing so, water isphysically trapped bythis cellulose ether molecule. Thus, thewaterborne particles which aredissolved in water is also trapped, byvirtue of the flexible butentangled nature of the cellulose chain.This way, water is in effectretained, and emulsion and suspension isachieved, and because of thefriction force needed to smooth thecellulose chain, the solution isthickened, and pseudoplasticity is achieved.