What are the uses of HPMC?

Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) is a nonionic cellulose ether made from natural cellulose through etherification. It exhibits excellent thickening, film-forming, water-retention, emulsion stability, and biocompatibility. As a versatile polymer additive, HPMC is widely used in industries such as construction, pharmaceuticals, food, daily chemicals, and coatings.

Main Applications: Building Materials

HPMC is a key additive in dry-mix mortars (such as cement mortar, gypsum-based mortar, tile adhesive, and putty), providing water retention, thickening, and improving workability. It effectively prolongs open time, enhances bond strength, reduces cracking and hollowing, and improves the uniformity and durability of the final material.

Pharmaceutical Preparations

HPMC is a commonly used excipient in tablets and capsules. As a film coating material, sustained-release matrix, and binder, it can modulate drug release behavior, improve formulation stability, and enhance dosing compatibility. It is also used in the preparation of plant-derived hollow capsules.

Food Industry

As a food additive, HPMC is used in sauces, dairy products, ice cream, and other products to thicken, emulsify, and improve texture. It can also be used in low-fat food formulations to simulate the mouthfeel of fat, or as a water-retaining agent and film-forming agent in baked goods.

Daily Chemicals and Personal Care

In products such as shampoo, shower gel, skin cream, and toothpaste, HPMC acts as a thickener and stabilizer, providing suitable rheological properties, improving the user experience, preventing phase separation, and enhancing the stability of the finished product.

Coatings Industry

It is used in water-based coatings and latex paints as a thickener, dispersant, and film-forming agent, improving application leveling, pigment suspension, and film properties.

Other industrial applications

Including use as a dispersant in PVC polymerization, a reinforcing and sizing agent in the paper industry, and a sizing agent in textile pulp, improving the processing performance and final quality of related products.

Summary

HPMC is a safe, environmentally friendly, and versatile polymer. Through its excellent water retention, thickening, stabilization, and film-forming properties, it plays a key role in various industrial fields, significantly improving product processing performance, stability, and application effectiveness.