Hydroxyethyl cellulose ( HEC ) is a white or light yellow, tasteless, non-toxic fibrous or powdery solid prepared by etherification of alkaline cellulose and ethylene oxide ( or chloroethanol ) and belongs to non-ionic soluble cellulose ethers. Hydroxyethyl cellulose is unstable at normal temperature and pressure, avoids humidity, heat and high temperature, has exceptionally good salt solubility to dielectrics, and allows high concentration of salts in its aqueous solution to remain stable.
Applications
HEC has been widely used in the fields of petroleum exploitation, coating, construction, medical food, textile, papermaking and polymer polymerization because of its good properties of thickening, suspension, dispersion, emulsification, adhesion, film formation, protection of water and provision of protective colloid.
The detailed application is shown as below：
Application Fields | Application Range | Function |
Painting | Latex paint, polymer emulsifying | Thickening |
Construction | Cement, mortar | Thickening,water-retaining,retarding |
Paper-making | Sizing | Thickening, water- retaining
|
Cosmetics | Toothpaste, shampoo, Cream | Thickening, stabilizing |
Pharmaceutical | Lotion, Ointment | Thickening, stabilizing, water-retaining, |
Ceramics | Enameling | Water-retaining |
Oil (Petroleum) | Well drilling, completing fluids | Water-retaining, Thickening, fluid-loss controlling |
