Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC)

  • Product Name: Hydroxyethyl Cellulose
  • Appearance: White to yellowish powder
  • PH Value: 6.0~8.5
  • CAS No.: 9004-62-0
  • HS Code: 3912 3100.00
  • Molar Degree of Substitution(M.S): 1.8-3.0
  • Viscosity(mpa.s): 5-150000

Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) is a non-ionic, water-soluble polymer, white or light-yellow odorless powder. It can be dissolved in both cold and hot water and the dissolution rate increases with the increase of temperature. It has good PH stability, and the viscosity changes little in the ph2-12 range. Hydroxyethylcellulose has higher salt-resistance and hygroscopicity and has stronger hydrophilic and water retention. HEC aqueous solution has surface activity, high viscosity hydroxyethyl cellulose powder also has a high degree of pseudoelasticity.

  ItemHydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC)
AppearanceWhite to yellowish flowing powder
Molar Degree of Substitution(M.S)1.8-3.0
Water(%)≤10
Insoluble Matter in Water(%)≤0.5
PH Value6.0-8.5
Light Transmittance≥80
Viscosity(mpa.s) 2%, 25℃5-150000

HEC Applications

As a non-ionic water-soluble cellulose ether product, hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) can be widely used in architectural coatings, petroleum, paper and ink, fabric, ceramics, construction, and other industries. The following are the main applications:

Hydroxyethyl cellulose is the most commonly used thickener in latex coatings. In addition to thickening latex coating, it can also emulsify, disperse, stabilize, and retain water. It is characterized by a significant thickening effect, good color spreading, film-forming, and storage stability. Hydroxyethylcellulose is a nonionic cellulose derivative that can be used over a wide PH range. It has good compatibility with other materials in the composition, such as pigments, additives, fillers, and salts. Coatings thickened with hydroxyethyl cellulose have good rheological properties at various shear rates, good construction, not easy to drip, hanging and splashing, better leveling.

Industrial grade hydroxyethyl cellulose can act as a thickener and cementing agent for well workover fluid. It helps to provide a clear, low solid content liquid, thus greatly reducing damage to the well structure. Liquids thickened with hydroxyethylcellulose are easily broken down by acids, enzymes, or oxidants, greatly improving the ability to recover hydrocarbons.

Based on its low solid content, the drilling fluid with hydroxy ethyl cellulose can effectively improve the drilling stability. These performance inhibitors can be used for medium to high hardness rock layers and for drilling heavy shale or mud shale. In cementing operations, hydroxyethyl cellulose reduces hydraulic friction in the mud, minimizing water loss in the lost rock.

Hydroxyethyl cellulose can be used in building products such as the concrete mixture, freshly mixed mortar, plaster, HEM acts as water retention during the construction process before they are hardened. In addition to improving the water retention of construction materials, hydroxy ethyl cellulose can also reduce crusting, slipping, and sagging This can improve the construction performance, improve work efficiency, save time, but also can improve the capacity of the plaster, save raw materials.

Hydroxyethylcellulose can be used as a gelling agent for paper and board and as a thickening and suspending agent for water-based inks. The superior properties of hydroxyethylcellulose during papermaking include compatibility with most gums, resins, and inorganic salts, low foam, low oxygen consumption, and the ability to form a smooth surface film. The film has low surface permeability and strong gloss, which can reduce the cost. Paper glued with hydroxyethyl cellulose can be used for high-quality picture printing. In water-based ink manufacturing, with hydroxyethyl cellulose thickened water-based ink drying fast, good color dispersion, will not produce a bond.

Hydroxyethyl cellulose is an effective film-forming agent, adhesive, thickener, stabilizer, and dispersant in shampoo, hair sprays, hair conditioners, and cosmetics. In the washing powder, it is a kind of sewage re – precipitation agent. HEC dissolves quickly at high temperatures, which can accelerate the production process and improve production efficiency. The detergent containing hydroxyethylcellulose has the obvious characteristic of improving the smoothness and mercerization of the fabric.

As a non-ionic surfactant, in addition to the properties of thickening, suspending, binding, emulsifying, film-forming, dispersing, retaining water, and protecting, hydroxyethyl cellulose for sale also has the following properties:

  • Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) is soluble in hot or cold water and does not precipitate at high temperature or boiling, giving it a wide range of solubility and viscosity characteristics, in other words, non-thermal gelatinizing.
  • It can coexist with a wide range of other water-soluble polymers, surfactants, and salts. It is an excellent colloidal thickener with a high concentration electrolyte solution.
  • The water retention capacity of HEC is twice higher than that of methylcellulose, which has better flow regulation.
  • HEC cellulose has stable viscosity and good anti-mildew performance, which can provide enough storage time for coating and effectively prevent settling of pigment and filler. So that the coating in the construction of better leveling performance.

Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Manufacturer & Supplier

As a professional manufacturer & supplier in China, Kingsun Company has more than 15 years of production and sales experience in the construction chemicals industry. And our  chemical products are widely used in building materials, coatings, synthetic resin, ceramics, chemicals, textiles, oil fields, plastics, and other industries. Do you know why Choose Kingsun?

  1. Kingsun owns a number of cellulose ether production lines. We use large vertical reaction kettle production, realize the whole process of automatic control of cellulose ether, and we can meet the requirements of a variety of production methods.
  2. Our company owns the most advanced research and development center, perfect the strict testing process, the product quality is stable and reliable. The company has passed ISO9001 quality management system, ISO14001 environmental management system, OHSAS18000 occupational health and safety management system, etc.
  3. We always insist on providing customers with high-quality products, reasonable factory prices, as well as excellent service and reasonable prices. If you need to buy HEC or other chemicals, please feel free to contact us.

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