CELLOSIZE™ Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, Dow

03 Apr.,2024

 

Overview

CELLOSIZE™ Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) is a line of nonionic, water-soluble, cellulose based polymers from Dow.  Hydroxyethyl cellulose is produced by treating reacting alkali-cellulose with ethylene oxide.  This reaction converts some of the hydroxyl groups on the cellulose polymer to hydroxyethyl groups.  The resulting polymer is a cellulose ether that is primarily used as a thickener for water-based paint, ink, and adhesive formulations.


CELLOSIZE™ Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) grades are defined by their molecular weight or more specifically the viscosity of the aqueous solution that they produce at 2% by weight.  For example, CELLOSIZE™ QP-300 will produce a solution of 300 cPs when added to water at 2%.  Solutions of low molecular weight CELLOSIZE™ grades have a rheology that is near Newtonian and useful for applications that require a stable viscosity regardless of shear.  Solutions of high molecular weight CELLOSIZE™, however, behave in a non-Newtonian manner and will have a pseudo-plastic rheology.  This pseudoplasticity makes high viscosity grades of CELLOSIZE™ Hydroxyethyl Cellulose an ideal thickener for latex paint applications where the paint must stay on the brush, yet flow out easily upon brushing.


In addition to its useful nature as a thickening agent, CELLOSIZE Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) also provides the benefits of a suspension aid, binder, emulsifier, film former, emulsion stabilizer, dispersant, water retention aid, and protective colloid.


CELLOSIZE™ Hydroxyethyl Cellulose offers narrow viscosity ranges, consistent viscosity reproducibility, and excellent solution clarities. The applications for CELLOSIZE™ range but in the industrial space it is primarily used for general thickening applications in latex paints, household cleaners and tape-joint compounds.  Select a grade below for more information or contact us to speak with one of our dedicated product experts.


ChemPoint is a Dow authorized supplier of CELLOSIZE™ Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) in industrial applications, providing dedicated marketing, sales, order fulfillment, and technical support for customers located in the US, Canada, and  Western Europe.

For more information Polycarboxylate Superplasticizer, KDOCEL Hydroxyethyl Cellulose, please get in touch with us!