E1525, Hydroxy Ethyl Cellulose, HEC, 9004-62-0

Hydroxy Ethyl Cellulose, E1525, HEC, 9004-62-0

Hydroxy Ethyl Cellulose (HEC)
CAS No: 9004-62-0
E Code: E1525

🔹 Product Properties

• CAS No: 9004-62-0

• Appearance/Structure/Odor: Powder, yellowish to pale white, odorless

• pH (2% aqueous solution): 6.0–8.5

• Density: 1.38 g/cm³

• E Code: E1525

🔹 Physicochemical Properties

• Appearance: White to pale yellow fibrous or solid powder; non-toxic and odorless

• Solubility: Soluble in water; insoluble in common organic solvents

• pH Stability: Stable viscosity between pH 2–12; viscosity decreases outside this range

• Functional Properties:

  • Thickening

  • Suspension

  • Adhesion

  • Emulsion & dispersion stabilization

  • Water retention

  • Protective colloid performance

• Activity: Stable at normal temperature and pressure

• Salt Tolerance: Excellent solubility in saline systems; maintains stable performance in high salt concentrations

• Precautions: Avoid high temperature, humidity, and direct heat

🔹 Applications

HEC is widely used across multiple industries due to its versatile properties:

🔹 Packaging, Storage & Transportation

• Packaging: 25 kg per bag

• Storage:

  • Store in a dry, ventilated area

  • Protect from moisture, rain, sunlight, and humidity

  • Reseal immediately after opening to prevent wetting

• Transportation:

  • Stable during transport

  • Ensure protection against environmental exposure

HEC – Sectoral Suitability & Usage Intensity

🔹 Summary:

• Critical Use Areas (⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐): 🎨 Paints & Coatings, 🏗️ Construction → HEC is indispensable for formulation stability and performance.

• High Use Areas (⭐⭐⭐⭐): 💊 Pharmaceuticals, 🍲 Food, 💇 Cosmetics, 🛢️ Oil Drilling → HEC is essential for product quality and consistency.

• Medium Use Areas (⭐⭐⭐): 🖋️ Inks, 📄 Papermaking, 🌱 Pesticides & Minerals → HEC improves performance but alternatives may exist.

🔹 Pharmaceutical Suitability

• Toxicological Profile: Hydroxy Ethyl Cellulose (HEC) is non-toxic and biocompatible, making it safe for pharmaceutical use.

• Regulatory Compliance: Recognized as an excipient in major pharmacopeias such as the USP (United States Pharmacopeia) and Ph. Eur. (European Pharmacopoeia).

• Stability: Stable under normal temperature and pressure; viscosity remains consistent within a pH range of 2–12.

• Compatibility: Non-ionic nature ensures minimal chemical interaction with active pharmaceutical ingredients (APIs), which enhances formulation safety.

• Applications: Suitable for oral, ophthalmic, and topical dosage forms.

🔹 Usage Forms in Pharmaceuticals

HEC is widely applied in different dosage forms due to its versatile properties:

🔹 Advantages

• Safe & Biocompatible: Non-toxic, suitable for human use.

• Versatile: Applicable in solid, liquid, and semi-solid dosage forms.

• Stable: Maintains viscosity across a wide pH range.

• Non-reactive: Compatible with a broad range of APIs due to its non-ionic structure.

👉 In summary, HEC is a multifunctional excipient in pharmaceuticals, serving as a binder, thickener, stabilizer, and release modifier. Its regulatory acceptance and safety profile make it a preferred choice in modern drug formulations.

🔹 Food Suitability

• Safety Profile: HEC is considered non-toxic and biocompatible, and it is approved as a food additive under the code E1525.

• Regulatory Compliance: Recognized by international food safety authorities (Codex Alimentarius, EFSA, FDA) as a permitted additive when used within specified limits.

• Functional Role: Acts as a thickener, stabilizer, emulsifier, and water-retention agent in food formulations.

• Stability: Maintains viscosity across a wide pH range (2–12), making it suitable for acidic and neutral food systems.

• Compatibility: Non-ionic structure ensures minimal interaction with other food ingredients, preserving taste and texture.

🔹 Usage Forms in Food Industry

HEC is applied in various food categories to improve texture, stability, and shelf life:

🔹 Advantages in Food Applications

• Improved Texture: Provides smooth, uniform mouthfeel.

• Moisture Retention: Prevents drying and extends shelf life.

• Stability: Maintains product consistency during storage and processing.

• Versatility: Effective in both hot and cold food systems.

• Regulatory Acceptance: Approved globally as a safe food additive (E1525).

👉 In summary, HEC is a multifunctional food additive used to enhance texture, stability, and quality in soups, sauces, ice cream, bakery items, beverages, and instant foods. Its safety profile and regulatory approval make it a reliable excipient in the food industry.

🔹 Suitability in Cosmetics & Personal Care

• Safety Profile: HEC is non-toxic and biocompatible, making it safe for use on skin and hair.

• Regulatory Compliance: Accepted internationally as an excipient in cosmetic formulations.

• Functional Role: Acts as a thickener, stabilizer, water-retention agent, and film-former in cosmetic products.

• Stability: Maintains viscosity across a wide pH range, suitable for acidic and neutral formulations.

• Compatibility: Non-ionic structure ensures minimal interaction with active cosmetic ingredients, preserving product safety and performance.

🔹 Usage Forms

HEC is widely used in different categories of personal care products:

🔹 Advantages

• Versatility: Applicable in both hair care and skin care formulations.

• Stability: Enhances shelf life and formulation consistency.

• Improved User Experience: Provides better texture, viscosity, and application feel.

• Safe & Compatible: Works well with other cosmetic ingredients without adverse reactions.

👉 In summary, HEC is a multifunctional excipient in cosmetics and personal care, serving as a thickener, stabilizer, and water-retention agent. It improves product quality, user experience, and stability in shampoos, hair gels, lotions, toothpaste, and makeup formulations.

🔹 Suitability in Paints & Coatings

• Safety Profile: HEC is non-toxic and biocompatible, making it safe for use in water-based paint and coating formulations.

• Regulatory Compliance: Recognized internationally as a safe additive in industrial and decorative coatings.

• Functional Role: Acts as a rheology modifier, thickener, stabilizer, water-retention agent, and film-former.

• Stability: Maintains viscosity across a wide pH range, ensuring consistent performance in different coating systems.

• Compatibility: Non-ionic structure prevents unwanted chemical interactions with pigments, binders, or other additives, improving formulation stability.

🔹 Usage Forms

HEC is widely applied in paints and coatings due to its versatile properties:

🔹 Advantages

• Rheology Control: Ensures proper flow and application of paints.

• Improved Adhesion: Enhances surface bonding for better coating performance.

• Stability: Prevents pigment separation and extends product shelf life.

• Versatility: Suitable for both decorative and industrial coatings.

• Quality Enhancement: Provides smoother finishes and more durable coatings.

👉 In summary, HEC is a multifunctional additive in the paint & coatings industry, serving as a rheology modifier, stabilizer, and film-former. It improves application properties, adhesion, pigment stability, and overall coating quality.

🔹 Suitability in Construction

• Safety Profile: HEC is non-toxic and biocompatible, making it safe for use in cement- and gypsum-based building materials.

• Regulatory Compliance: Accepted internationally as an additive in construction chemicals and building formulations.

• Functional Role: Acts as a water-retention agent, rheology modifier, thickener, and stabilizer in construction applications.

• Stability: Maintains viscosity across a wide pH range, ensuring consistent performance in different cementitious systems.

• Compatibility: Non-ionic structure prevents unwanted chemical reactions with other additives, improving mixture homogeneity and durability.

🔹 Usage Forms

HEC is widely applied in construction materials due to its versatile properties:

🔹 Advantages

• Improved Workability: Makes cement and mortar mixtures easier to apply.

• Water Retention: Prevents premature drying, enhancing durability.

• Stability: Ensures homogeneous mixtures and prevents segregation.

• Adhesion Strength: Improves bonding of coatings and adhesives to surfaces.

• Durability: Contributes to stronger, longer-lasting structures.

👉 In summary, HEC is a multifunctional additive in the construction industry, used in cement, gypsum, adhesives, and coatings to improve workability, durability, and surface quality.

🔹 Suitability in Other Industries

• Safety Profile: HEC is non-toxic and biocompatible, making it safe for diverse industrial applications.

• Regulatory Compliance: Accepted internationally as an additive in multiple industrial sectors.

• Functional Role: Serves as a thickener, stabilizer, dispersant, emulsifier, and protective colloid across different processes.

• Stability: Maintains viscosity across a wide pH range and remains effective even in high-salt environments.

• Compatibility: Non-ionic structure ensures reliable performance in complex chemical systems without unwanted reactions.

🔹 Usage Forms

HEC is applied in a wide range of industries due to its versatile properties:

🔹 Advantages

• Versatility: Applicable across multiple industrial sectors.

• Stability: Performs reliably under challenging conditions, including high salt concentrations.

• Formulation Safety: Ensures homogeneous and stable mixtures.

• Quality Enhancement: Improves performance and durability of final products.

👉 In summary, HEC is a multifunctional additive used in oil drilling, inks, fiber dyeing, papermaking, pesticides, minerals, and industrial chemicals. Its thickening, stabilizing, and dispersing properties make it a valuable ingredient for enhancing product quality and process efficiency.

🔹 HEC in Tobacco Applications

1. Reconstituted Tobacco Sheets

• Binder Function: HEC helps bind fine tobacco particles together when producing reconstituted sheets from tobacco dust and stems.

• Film-Forming Ability: Creates a uniform sheet with consistent thickness and mechanical strength.

• Moisture Retention: Prevents sheets from becoming brittle, improving handling and storage.

2. Cigarette Paper & Wrapping

• Burn Rate Control: HEC modifies paper porosity and combustion properties, ensuring a controlled burn.

• Strength & Flexibility: Enhances tensile strength of cigarette paper, reducing tearing during production.

• Surface Coating: Provides smoother texture and better adhesion of additives (e.g., flavorings, burn modifiers).

3. Filter & Capsule Applications

• Stabilizer: Used in flavor capsule coatings or filter adhesives to maintain structural integrity.

• Compatibility: Non-ionic nature ensures it does not react with flavoring agents or other additives.

🔹 Advantages of HEC in Tobacco

• Uniformity: Ensures consistent sheet formation and cigarette paper quality.

• Process Efficiency: Improves machinability during cigarette manufacturing.

• Controlled Performance: Helps regulate burn rate and moisture balance.

• Safety: Non-toxic and approved as a food-grade additive (E1525), which supports its use in consumable products.

🔹 Risks & Considerations

• Regulatory Scrutiny: While HEC is safe as an additive, tobacco products themselves are subject to strict regulations.

• Alternative Binders: Other cellulose derivatives (CMC, HPMC) may also be used, but HEC offers superior water retention and film-forming properties.

• Moisture Sensitivity: Storage conditions must be controlled to prevent degradation of HEC’s performance in tobacco sheets.

👉 In summary, HEC is a critical excipient in tobacco manufacturing, especially for reconstituted tobacco sheets and cigarette paper, where it functions as a binder, film-former, and moisture regulator to improve product quality and consistency.