Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) is a white or light yellow, odorless, non-toxic powder. It is prepared from basic cellulose and ethylene oxide (or chloroethane) by etherification. It is a non-ionic soluble cellulose ether. Because HEC cellulose has good characteristics of thickening, suspension, dispersion, emulsification, adhesion, film formation, protection of moisture, and protection of colloids, it is widely used in petroleum extraction, coatings, construction, medicine and food, textiles, papermaking, and other fields.
Product Performance Description
- Hydroxyethyl cellulose powder can be dissolved in hot and cold water, and will not precipitate when heated or boiled. Because of that, it has a wide range of solubility and viscosity characteristics and non-thermogelability.
- HEC can coexist with other water-soluble polymers, surfactants, and salts. HEC is an excellent colloidal thickener containing high-concentration dielectric solutions.
- Its water retention capacity is twice as high as that of methylcellulose, and it has good flow regulation.
- Compared to methylcellulose and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose, HEC has the strongest protective colloid ability.
| Item | Hydroxyethyl Cellulose |
| Appearance | White to yellowish flowing powder |
| Molar Degree of Substitution(M.S) | 1.8-3.0 |
| Water(%) | ≤10 |
| Insoluble Matter in Water(％) | ≤0.5 |
| PH Value | 6.0-8.5 |
| Light Transmittance | ≥80 |
| Viscosity(mpa.s) 2％, 25℃ | 5－150000 |
Applications of Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC)
HEC powder can be used as adhesive, surfactant, colloid protective agent, dispersant, emulsifier and dispersion stabilizer. It has a wide range of applications in coatings, inks, fibers, dyeing, papermaking, cosmetics, oil drilling, and medicine.
- Construction Industry: HEC can be used as a moisture retention agent and a cement setting inhibitor.
- Oil Drilling Industry: It can be used as a thickener and cementing agent for oil well workover fluid. The drilling fluid with HEC can effectively improve drilling stability based on its low solid content function.
- Coating Industry: HEC can play a role in thickening, emulsifying, dispersing, stabilizing and retaining water for latex materials. It is characterized by a significant thickening effect, good color spreadability, film formation, and storage stability.
- Paper and Ink: It can be used as a sizing agent on paper and paperboard, as a thickener and suspending agent for water-based inks.
- Daily Chemicals: HEC is an effective film-forming agent, adhesive, thickener, stabilizer and dispersant in shampoos, hair conditioners, and cosmetics.
Why You Should Choose Kingsun
1. As a professional manufacturer and supplier, Kingsun owns multiple cellulose ether production lines and has realized fully automatic control of cellulose ether, which can meet the requirements of multiple production methods.
2. Kingsun has an advanced R & D center, world-class production equipment and strict testing technology. Therefore, the quality of our products is very stable and reliable.
3. Kingsun always insists on providing customers with quality products, excellent service, and competitive prices. If you need to buy HEM or other cellulose ether products, please feel free to contact us.
