Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose Formula

The chemical formula for sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) can be represented as
$(�6�10�5)�CH2COONa$

(C6H10O5)n​CH2COONa, where
$�$

n represents the number of glucose units in the cellulose chain.

In simpler terms, CMC consists of repeating units of cellulose, which are composed of glucose molecules (
$�6�10�5$

C6H10O5), with carboxymethyl groups (-CH2COONa) attached to some of the hydroxyl (-OH) groups on the glucose units. The “Na” represents the sodium ion, which is associated with the carboxymethyl group to form the sodium salt of CMC.

This chemical structure gives sodium carboxymethyl cellulose its water-soluble and functional properties, making it a versatile polymer used in various industries for thickening, stabilizing, and modifying the rheological properties of formulations.