Product Introduction
Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) is a non-ionic water-soluble cellulose ether derived from natural cellulose after etherification reaction. It dissolves easily in cold and hot water without gelation property, and provides excellent thickening, water retention, dispersion, film-forming and lubricating performance.
HEC has stable performance under wide pH range from 2 to 12. It shows good compatibility with anionic, cationic and non-ionic additives, pigments and latex polymers. It will not precipitate under common electrolyte environment, which makes it widely adopted in many industrial systems.
This product is supplied as free-flowing white or off-white powder. It can form transparent and uniform aqueous solution. It is used to adjust viscosity, control sagging, improve workability and protect colloidal systems in downstream manufacturing.
POINTS FOR ATTENTION
Order Instructions
- Please confirm the required HEC viscosity grade (50 / 300 / 1500 / 5000 / 30000 / 80000 mPa·s) before placing your order. Viscosity is the core index that directly affects your final product rheology.
- Specify fineness requirement: 80 mesh, 100 mesh or 120 mesh. Fine powder dissolves faster while coarse powder reduces agglomeration risk during feeding.
- Choose packing type: 25kg paper bag, 25kg plastic drum, bulk jumbo bag or palletized shipment. Pallet packaging is recommended for container loading to avoid damage during sea freight.
- Notify us if you need food-grade or cosmetic-grade quality control standards. These batches will have extra heavy metal and microbial testing reports.
- Provide target application industry (latex paint, oil drilling, shampoo, gypsum mortar etc.), our technical team can double-check whether the selected grade matches your formulation.
- Minimum order quantity: 1 ton. Sample order of 25kg is available for laboratory testing and pilot production.
- Payment term, delivery port and document requirements (CO, CIQ, MSDS, TDS) should be clarified before production. We supply full set shipping documents for customs clearance.
- Lead time: normally 5–7 working days for stock grades; customized special substitution degree needs 12–18 working days.
Usage Notes
- HEC is non-ionic cellulose ether. It can dissolve in both cold and hot water, but high temperature above 95℃ will accelerate degradation and cause permanent viscosity loss.
- Do not pour HEC powder directly into standing water. Dry powder pre-dispersion in water-miscible solvent (ethanol, propylene glycol) or under high-speed stirring is strongly recommended to prevent fish-eye agglomerates.
- The recommended adding sequence: add HEC into the system before latex emulsion or surfactant, fully hydrate first, then add other raw materials.
- HEC works stable within pH 2.0–12.0. Strong acid over pH 2 or strong alkali over pH 12 added before full hydration will weaken thickening efficiency.
- Biocide must be added into HEC aqueous solution. HEC solution is easy to breed bacteria and mold, which will break molecular chain and drop viscosity during storage.
- High shear mixing can break HEC molecular chains. Avoid ultra-high speed long-time stirring after the powder is fully dissolved.
- When mixing with electrolytes, add salt slowly after HEC is completely hydrated. Excessive electrolyte at early stage will slow down dissolution rate.
- Store sealed in cool dry warehouse. Keep away from moisture and rain. Damp raw material will be difficult to disperse and shorten shelf life.
COMMON FORMULAS
Below are typical reference formulas by weight percentage for common downstream products, for laboratory trial adjustment only.
| Formula 1: Interior Latex Paint (HEC 1500) | |
|---|---|
| Water | 45.0% |
| HEC 1500 | 0.3% |
| Dispersant / Wetting agent | 1.2% |
| Titanium dioxide, filler | 32.0% |
| Styrene-acrylic emulsion | 20.0% |
| Defoamer, biocide, pH adjuster | 1.5% |
| Formula 2: Mild Shampoo (HEC 300) | |
|---|---|
| Deionized water | 84.2% |
| HEC 300 | 0.4% |
| AES / Amphoteric surfactant | 12.5% |
| Cocamide DEA | 2.0% |
| Fragrance, preservative, citric acid | 0.9% |
| Formula 3: Gypsum Based Joint Filler (HEC 5000) | |
|---|---|
| Gypsum powder | 88.5% |
| Calcium carbonate filler | 8.0% |
| HEC 5000 | 0.4% |
| Retarder, water reducer | 3.1% |
COMMON PROBLEMS IN DOWNSTREAM PRODUCTION
- Fish-eye undissolved agglomerates: Caused by fast feeding without pre-dispersion. The outer layer hydrates quickly and wraps inner dry powder. Solution: disperse HEC in organic solvent first or add slowly under vigorous stirring.
- Viscosity drops obviously after storage: Mainly microbial degradation. HEC aqueous solution lacks biocide. Mold and bacteria cut cellulose molecular chain. Add compatible biocide right after dissolution.
- Poor anti-sagging performance in paint: Wrong viscosity grade selected, or HEC is added after emulsion. Low molecular HEC cannot build enough thixotropy. Switch to higher viscosity grade and adjust feeding sequence.
- Slow dissolution speed: Raw material absorbs moisture during storage; stirring speed is insufficient. Check packing seal condition and increase dispersion shear at feeding stage.
- Surface bubbles and pinholes in coating film: Long high-speed stirring introduces excessive air. HEC thickened system releases air slowly. Add defoamer and reduce stirring speed after hydration completes.
- Unstable viscosity after adding salt: Although non-ionic HEC tolerates electrolyte, high concentration brine will reduce thickening capacity. Add electrolyte gradually after HEC fully dissolved.
- Poor water retention in gypsum / mortar: Overdosing of retarder or low substitution HEC grade. Confirm MS value and test water retention rate before mass production.
- Transparency of cosmetic liquid is bad: Incomplete dissolution or insoluble impurities. Use fine mesh grade and extend hydration time for personal care formulas.
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FAQ
PRICE INFORMATION
- Quotation Basis: CMC price depends on product grade, viscosity, substitution degree, order quantity and delivery terms.
- Price Validity: All quotations are subject to market raw material fluctuation. Normally valid for 7 days unless otherwise specified.
- Price Contains: The quoted price covers product cost and standard export packaging. Freight, insurance and export charges are calculated separately according to Incoterms.
- Tax & Invoice: Commercial invoice for export will be provided. Relevant export tax formalities can be handled.
- Payment Discount: Better price can be offered for larger repeated orders. Please contact us for the latest formal quotation.
DELIVERY TIME & SHELF LIFE
- Production Lead Time: 7–15 working days after receiving your deposit, subject to factory production schedule.
- Shipping Arrangement: After production completion, we will book container and arrange shipment. Port space availability may affect the departure date.
- Transit Time: Sea transit time varies according to destination port, generally ranges from 15 to 45 days.
- Shelf Life: 24 months from production date when stored under proper dry and cool conditions with original sealed packaging.
- Storage Warning: Once the bag is opened, please consume as soon as possible and keep away from moisture, high temperature and direct sunlight.
PRODUCT QUALITY
- Raw Material Inspection: All raw materials are strictly inspected before entering production line to guarantee stable base quality.
- In-process Monitoring: Continuous online monitoring during production for viscosity, substitution degree and moisture content.
- Batch Test: Every finished batch will be sampled and tested before delivery. Qualified report will be provided together with shipment documents.
- Consistency Control: Automated production lines reduce batch difference, ensuring stable performance for repeated orders.
- Quality Support: We accept third-party inspection before shipment. Technical team offers after-sales technical support for quality related issues.
ABOUT US
- Headquartered in Shijiazhuang: Based in Shijiazhuang, Hebei, a globally influential fine chemical production hub with huge capacity and full industrial chain to ensure stable raw materials and bulk supply.
- Geographic Advantage: Convenient inland transport near Tianjin and Qingdao ports, supporting fast container shipment and competitive export logistics cost.
- Full-chain Supplier: One-stop provider of fine chemical additives and matching production equipment, custom service available beyond cellulose ethers.
- Technical Team: Professional team supplies formula consultation, sample testing and product selection for various industrial projects.
- Global Export: Years of export experience, providing reliable goods, full export documents and timely after-sales technical support.
相关产品及设备
USEFUL LINKS
- AIChE https://www.aiche.org/
- IChemE https://www.icheme.org/
- Cheresources https://www.cheresources.com/
- NIST Chemistry WebBook https://webbook.nist.gov/chemistry/
- AspenTech https://www.aspentech.com/
- DECHEMA https://www.dechema.de/en.html
- ChemEngPlanet https://www.chemengplanet.com/
- PubChem https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
- Chemical Processing https://www.chemicalprocessing.com/
- ChemIndustry https://www.chemindustry.com/
- PharmaChemEngineer https://www.pharmachemeng.com/
- GlobalSpec https://www.globalspec.com/