Application Areas of Hydroxy Propyl Methyl Cellulose

Methyl cellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose are allowed as food additives in the United States, the European Union and many other countries. Methyl Cellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose,  hydroxypropyl cellulose, HEMC and sodium carboxymethylcellulose have completely passed identification of the FAO / WHO Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives, and the acceptable daily intake (ADI ) is determined as 25mg/kg. The U.S. Food Chemicals Codex listed the standards of carboxymethyl cellulose, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, ethyl cellulose as food additives.

Cellulose ethers can also be used as gelling agents in mixing food (such as methyl cellulose or hydroxypropyl cellulose in ice cream), thickeners in pie fillings and seasonings, and as suspending agents in fruit juice and dairy products.

In building materials, Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose can act as dispersing agents, thickeners and binders, and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose is mainly used in the molding of the cement mortar and plaster products. It is used in the cement mortar to increase its adhesion, reduce flocculation, improve the viscosity, shrinkage, and water retention, reduce the water loss of concrete surface, enhance the strength, prevent the occurrence of cracks and weathering effects of water-soluble salts. Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose helps to improve adhesion and workability, so is suitable for the preparation of easy-flowing mortar for spraying and can be used in thin layer whitewashing.

In the building materials, the dosage of Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose is very small, only 0.1% to 1%. But its effects are great and can be used as plasticizers, water-retaining agents, air-entraining agents and retarders in coatings, gray paste, mortar and cement products to play the role of water retention or the adhesive force between the bases. In addition, from an environmental point of view, the application of cellulose ethers can be more preferable, such as Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose.