In the building materials industry, cellulose ethers have an extremely wide range of uses. The amount is large and they can serve as retarders, water-retaining agents, thickeners and binders. Cellulose ethers play important roles in ordinary dry mortar, efficient exterior wall insulation mortar, self-leveling mortar, dry plaster adhesives, dry mortar for tile adhesive, high-performance construction putty, anti-cracking interior and exterior wall putty, waterproof dry-mixed mortar, gypsum plaster, whitening agent for scratching, thin layer seams and other materials. They have important effects on the water-holding capacity, water demand, ruggedness, retarding property and construction property of the plaster system.

The cellulose ethers typically used in construction include HEC, HPMC, CMC, PAC etc.

The non-ionic water-soluble cellulose ethers have adhesion, dispersion stability as well as water-holding capacity, and are useful additives in construction materials. HPMC, MC or HEC is used for most cement-based or gypsum-based building. For example, masonry mortar, cement mortar, cement coatings, plaster, cement mixtures and emulsion putty and so on can enhance the dispersion of cement or sand and greatly improve the adhesion, which is very important for plaster, tile cement and putty.