What is Hydroxyethyl Cellulose used for?

Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) is a non-ionic cellulose ether made from natural polymer material cellulose through a series of etherification. It is an odorless, tasteless, non-toxic white powder or granule, which can be dissolved in cold water to form a transparent viscous solution, and the dissolution is not affected by the pH value. It has thickening, binding, dispersing, emulsifying, film-forming, suspending, adsorbing, surface active, moisture-retaining and salt-resistant properties. Widely used in paint, construction, textile, daily chemical, paper, oil drilling and other industries.

Main application areas：

1.Paint：Water-based paint is a viscous liquid formulated with organic solvents or water based on resin, or oil, or emulsion, with the addition of corresponding additives. Water-based coatings with excellent performance should also have excellent operating performance, good hiding power, strong coating adhesion, and good water retention performance; cellulose ether is the most suitable raw material to provide these properties.

2.Construction：In the field of construction industry, HEC is used as an additive for materials such as wall materials, concrete (including asphalt), pasted tiles and caulking materials, which can increase the viscosity and thicken of building materials, improve adhesion, lubricity, and water retention. Enhance the flexural strength of parts or components, improve shrinkage, and avoid edge cracks.

3.Textile：HEC-treated cotton, synthetic fibers or blends improve their properties such as abrasion resistance, dyeability, fire resistance and stain resistance, as well as improve their body stability (shrinkage) and durability, especially for synthetic fibers , which makes them breathable and reduces static electricity.

4.Daily chemical：Cellulose ether is an essential additive in daily chemical products. It can not only improve the viscosity of liquid or emulsion cosmetics, but also improve dispersion and foam stability.

5.Paper：In the field of paper making, HEC can be used as a sizing agent, strengthening agent and paper modifier.

6.Oil drilling：HEC is mainly used as a thickening and stabilizing agent in the oilfield treatment process. It is a good oilfield chemical. It was widely used in drilling, well completion, cementing and other oil production operations in foreign countries in the 1960s.

Other fields of application：

HEC can play the role of adhering poison to the leaves in spraying operations; HEC can be used as a thickener for spray emulsions to reduce drug drift, thereby increasing the use effect of foliar spraying. HEC can also be used as a film-forming agent in seed coating agents; as a binder in the recycling of tobacco leaves. Hydroxyethyl cellulose can be used as an additive to increase the covering performance of fireproof materials, and has been widely used in the preparation of fireproof “thickeners”. Hydroxyethyl cellulose can improve the wet strength and shrinkability of cement sand and sodium silicate sand systems. Hydroxyethyl cellulose can be used in the production of films and as a dispersant in the production of microscopic slides. Thickener in fluids with high salt concentrations used in film processing. Used as a binder and a stable dispersant for fluorescent agents in fluorescent tube coatings. It can protect the colloid from the influence of electrolyte concentration; hydroxyethyl cellulose can promote uniform deposition in cadmium plating solution. Can be used to formulate high-strength binders for ceramics. Water repellants prevent moisture from entering damaged cables.