Carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) is a water-soluble cellulose ether obtained by chemically modifying natural cellulose. Usually, it is made in the form of sodium salt, namely sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC-Na). The following is detailed product information about carboxymethyl cellulose:
Appearance: It is a white to light yellow powder, granular or fibrous substance.
Physicochemical properties:
- Odorless, tasteless, non-toxic, and highly hygroscopic.
- Easily soluble in water. In neutral or alkaline solutions, it forms a highly viscous liquid and is relatively stable to light and heat. Its solubility in water depends on the degree of substitution.
- Insoluble in acids and alcohols. No precipitation occurs when encountering salts.
- When heated to 190-205°C, it turns brown. When heated to 235-248°C, it carbonizes.
Molecular formula: (C6H7O2(OH)2OCH2COONa)n
Product classification:
- Alkaline products: Industrial low viscosity (2% aqueous solution) is 0.2-0.5 Pa·s.
- Neutral products: Industrial medium viscosity (2% aqueous solution) is 0.3-0.6 Pa·s. Industrial high viscosity (2% aqueous solution) is 0.8-1.0 Pa·s.
Main uses:
- Oil and gas industry: Used in petroleum and natural gas drilling, well sinking and other projects. Mud containing CMC can form a thin, strong, and low-permeability filter cake on the well wall, reducing water loss. It can enable the drilling rig to obtain a lower initial cutting force, facilitating the release of gas and discarding debris. It can prolong the existence period of mud. It is less affected by molds and does not require maintaining a high pH value or using preservatives. It can resist the pollution of various soluble salts. At high temperatures, it can still reduce water loss. High-viscosity and high-substitution-degree CMC is suitable for mud with lower density, while low-viscosity and high-substitution-degree CMC is suitable for mud with higher density.
- Textile printing and dyeing industry: Can be used as a sizing agent in the textile industry for sizing light yarns of cotton, silk, wool, chemical fibers, and blended fabrics.
- Paper industry: Can be used as a paper surface smoothing agent and sizing agent, enhancing the tensile strength, compressive rupture strength, and flexibility of paper.
- Daily chemical industry: When added to synthetic detergents, it can be used as a dirt adsorbent. The glycerol aqueous solution of CMC can be used as the gum base of toothpaste.
- Pharmaceutical industry: Used as a thickener and emulsifier. It can also be used as a tablet binder, disintegrant, and suspending agent for suspensions.
- Food industry: Used as a thickener for ice cream, canned food, instant noodles, and a foam stabilizer for beer. It can be used to stabilize acidified milk beverages and increase the viscosity of yogurt systems. It can be used to improve the eating quality of pasta such as bread and steamed buns, extend the shelf life and enhance the taste. It can be used to make jelly and jam. It can also be used as an edible coating material to coat the surface of some foods for preservation.
- Ceramic industry: Can be used as an adhesive, plasticizer, suspending agent for glaze, and color fixative for green bodies.
- Construction industry: Helps improve water retention and strength.
- Other fields: Used as a flocculant in water treatment, mainly for wastewater and sludge treatment, which can increase the solid content of filter cakes. In the field of lithium-ion batteries, it can be used as a negative electrode material and an electrolyte material.
Dissolution method: Directly mix CMC with water to prepare a paste-like glue solution. First, add a certain amount of water to the batching tank with a stirring device. Under the condition of starting stirring, slowly and evenly sprinkle CMC into the batching tank and continuously stir to fully dissolve CMC and water. In order to prevent CMC from agglomerating and caking when encountering water and reduce the dissolution amount, it should be evenly sprinkled and continuously stirred. When CMC is evenly dispersed in water and there are no obvious large lumps, the stirring can be stopped and let CMC and water mutually penetrate and fuse in a static state. The time required for CMC to completely dissolve is between 10 and 20 hours. The basis for judging the complete dissolution of CMC includes: CMC and water are completely bonded, and there is no solid-liquid separation phenomenon; the mixed paste glue is in a uniform state with a flat and smooth surface; the color of the mixed paste glue is close to colorless and transparent, and there are no granular objects in the paste glue.
Functional properties in food:
- Thickening and emulsifying stabilizing effect: It can stabilize proteins in beverages containing oils and proteins, reduce the surface tension between fat and water, and fully emulsify fat.
- Water retention effect: It has a hydration effect and can play a role in improving the texture of foods such as meat products, bread, and steamed buns, reducing water evaporation, increasing product yield and enhancing taste.
- Gelation effect: CMC with thixotropy tends to form a three-dimensional structure. The apparent viscosity of its solution will increase. After breaking the three-dimensional structure, the viscosity will decrease. This has an important role in gel systems and can be used to make jelly and jam.
- Film-forming property: It can form a film on the surface of food, reducing the rate of gas and material exchange and prolonging the shelf life of fruits and vegetables. In addition, CMC also has properties such as suspension and chemical stability.
Packaging and storage: Generally, it is packed in 25kg plastic-lined woven bags or paper-plastic composite bags. Packaging can also be customized according to customer requirements. During storage, attention should be paid to heat and moisture protection. The stacking layer should not exceed 20 layers. The effective storage period is 2 years.
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