Skip to Content
Merck
All Photos(4)

Key Documents

H8384

Sigma-Aldrich

(Hydroxypropyl)methyl cellulose

viscosity 40-60 cP, 2 % in H2O(20 °C)(lit.)

Synonym(s):

2-Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose ether

Sign Into View Organizational & Contract Pricing


About This Item

CAS Number:
MDL number:
UNSPSC Code:
12352201
NACRES:
NA.25

form

powder

mol wt

~22 kDa

color

beige

viscosity

40-60 cP, 2 % in H2O(20 °C)(lit.)

solubility

water: 10 mg/mL, clear to slightly hazy

storage temp.

room temp

Looking for similar products? Visit Product Comparison Guide

Application

Thickener for aqueous and non-aqueous systems, clear films with grease resistance, binders, lubricants, steric stabilizer and water retention aid.

Features and Benefits

Dissolves in water, undergoes reversible gelation upon heating, non-ionic, does not complex with ionic species and is surface active and enzyme resistant. Solutions are pseudoplastic.

Quality

Normally contains some iron particles.

Preparation Note

This product is soluble in water (10 mg/ml). However, it is very important to thoroughly disperse the particles in water with agitation before they will dissolve. Otherwise, they will lump and form a gelatinous membrane around the internal particles, preventing them from wetting completely. There are four dispersion techniques commonly used to prepare solutions of hydroxypropylmethylcellulose: dispersion in hot water, dry blending, dispersion in non-solvent medium, and dispersion of surface-treated powders. (The last method is only for surface-treated powders).

Dispersion in hot water:
1. Heat approximately 1/3 the required volume of water to at least 90 oC.
2. Add the powder to the heated water with stirring or agitation.
3. Agitate the mixture until the particles are thoroughly wetted and evenly dispersed.
4. Add the remainder of the water (cold water) to lower the temperature of the dispersion. As the product cools, it will reach a temperature at which it becomes water soluble. It will then begin to hydrate and dissolve, increasing the viscosity of the solution.
5. Continue agitation for at least 30 minutes after the proper temperature is reached for solubility. The solution is now ready to use.

Dry blending:
1. Combine powder with other dry ingredients. The suggested ratio of dry powder to hydroxypropylmethylcellulose is 7:1 to 3:1.
2. Thoroughly blend the dry ingredients.
3. Add the dry mixture to water with agitation.
4. Agitate until the product has completed hydrated and the solution is consistently smooth. The solution is now ready for further processing/use.

Dispersion in non-solvent medium:
1. Hydroxypropylmethylcellulose may be dispersed in non-solvent media such as vegetable oil, polyethylene glycol, glycerin, corn syrup, and concentrated salt solutions. A ratio of 5-8 parts non-solvent to 1 part hydroxypropylmethylcellulose is recommended to obtain a liquid slurry.
2. Agitate the mixture until the particles are evenly dispersed.
3. This dispersion may be added to cold water or cold water may be added to the dispersion.
4. Continue mixing until the powder is completely hydrated and the solution is smooth. Additional ingredients may now be added to the formulation.

Other Notes

To gain a comprehensive understanding of our extensive range of Polysaccharides for your research, we encourage you to visit our Carbohydrates Category page.

Storage Class Code

11 - Combustible Solids

WGK

WGK 1

Flash Point(F)

Not applicable

Flash Point(C)

Not applicable

Personal Protective Equipment

dust mask type N95 (US), Eyeshields, Gloves

Certificates of Analysis (COA)

Search for Certificates of Analysis (COA) by entering the products Lot/Batch Number. Lot and Batch Numbers can be found on a product’s label following the words ‘Lot’ or ‘Batch’.

Already Own This Product?

Find documentation for the products that you have recently purchased in the Document Library.

Visit the Document Library

Rebecca Soffe et al.
PloS one, 14(6), e0218102-e0218102 (2019-06-07)
Artificial surfaces are routinely used instead of leaves to enable a reductionist approach in phyllosphere microbiology, the study of microorganisms residing on plant leaf surfaces. Commonly used artificial surfaces include, flat surfaces, such as metal and nutrient agar, and microstructured
Akio Suzuki et al.
PloS one, 14(6), e0217944-e0217944 (2019-06-07)
Anti-prion protein (PrP) monoclonal antibody 132, which recognizes mouse PrP amino acids 119-127, enables us to reliably detect abnormal isoform prion protein (PrPSc) in cells or frozen tissue sections by immunofluorescence assay, although treatment with guanidinium salts is a prerequisite.
Jeonghoon Han et al.
Aquatic toxicology (Amsterdam, Netherlands), 152, 308-317 (2014-05-13)
In this study, we investigated the effects of the water-accommodated fraction (WAF) of crude oil on the development and reproduction of the intertidal copepod Tigriopus japonicus through life-cycle experiments. Furthermore, we investigated the mechanisms underlying the toxic effects of WAF
Jane W Agger et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(17), 6287-6292 (2014-04-16)
The recently discovered lytic polysaccharide monooxygenases (LPMOs) are known to carry out oxidative cleavage of glycoside bonds in chitin and cellulose, thus boosting the activity of well-known hydrolytic depolymerizing enzymes. Because biomass-degrading microorganisms tend to produce a plethora of LPMOs
Fernando Andrés et al.
Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, 111(26), E2760-E2769 (2014-07-01)
In Arabidopsis thaliana environmental and endogenous cues promote flowering by activating expression of a small number of integrator genes. The MADS box transcription factor SHORT VEGETATIVE PHASE (SVP) is a critical inhibitor of flowering that directly represses transcription of these

Our team of scientists has experience in all areas of research including Life Science, Material Science, Chemical Synthesis, Chromatography, Analytical and many others.

Contact Technical Service