HPMC
Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose
Mikazone® Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC) is a non-ionic cellulose ether derived from natural polymer material cellulose through a series of etherification.
Product overview
HPMC Profile
HPMC is a white, odorless, tasteless powder that is soluble in water and other solvents. It is compatible with many surfactants and polymers such as starch, guar, and alginates. It is commonly used as a functional additive and as a thickening agent in many products, including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and construction materials.
Mikazone® Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC) is a non-ionic, water-soluble polymer derived from refined cotton. It is made by treating cellulose with propylene oxide and methyl chloride. This process replaces some of the hydroxyl groups on the cellulose molecules with methyl groups.
Mikazone® cellulose ether (HPMC) products are used as thickeners, dispersing, emulsifying, binding, film-forming, and gel-forming agents in many industrial applications. They are of great importance in dry-mixed mortars of building materials owing to their excellent thickening effect and water retention capacity.
Mikazone® Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC) is widely used as a thickener in building applications as it prevents segregation and improves the cohesion of the formulation components. In dry mix mortar, the thickening power is related to their solution viscosity. The addition of MikaZone® HPMC shows excellent stickiness to wet mortar. That can significantly increase the adhesion of wet mortar to the base layer and improve the sag resistance of the mortar.
Mikazone® Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC) can effectively prevent too fast and low penetration of water into the base surface in cement-based products, allowing more water to stay in the mortar and participate in the cement hydration reaction. MikaZone® HPMC has a stable water retention capacity in a wide temperature range, although changes in ambient temperature will affect its water retention capacity. Some special grades of products can still work well in high-temperature environments. In gypsum-based and ash-calcium-based products, Mikazone® HPMC also plays an important role in ensuring their open time and strength development.
Mikazone® Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose (HPMC) is suitable for various construction mortars. Mikazone® HPMC can significantly increase the thixotropic properties of the mortar system, which allows the mortar to have excellent anti-sagging ability, thereby improving construction efficiency, especially when building on walls. The good sag resistance of the mortar means that there will be no slippage when the mortar is constructed with a considerable thickness; for the tile pasting project, it means that the tiles pasted to the wall will not be displaced due to gravity.
MikaZone® Cellulose Ether Product Specifications
| Appearance: | white or off-white powder |
| Moisture: | ≤5 % |
| Ash: | ≤5 % |
| Methoxy content: | 19-24 % |
| Hydroxypropyl content: | 4-12 % |
| pH value: | 6-8 |
| Viscosity: | 400-750,000 mPa.s (Brookfield RV, 2%) |
MikaZone® Nomenclature
| M – MikaZone | K – 1000 viscosity | P – HPMC |
| L – Extended Open Time | R – Slip-Resistance | S – Surface Treatment |
Recommended Grades
Applications/ Grade | ETICS/EIFS | Tile Adhesives | Tile Grouts/ Crack Fillers | Gypsum Plasters | Spray Plasters | Repair Mortars | Self-leveling Compounds | Wall Putty/ Skim Coat | Detergent |
MK04P | ** | ||||||||
MK20P | ** | ||||||||
MK40P | * | ||||||||
MK40PL | * | ** | |||||||
MK40PR | * | * | ** | ||||||
MK75P | * | * | |||||||
MK100P | * | ** | ** | ||||||
MK100PR | * | ** | * | ||||||
MK100PS | ** | ||||||||
MK150P | * | * | |||||||
MK200P | ** | * | * | * | |||||
MK200PL | ** | ||||||||
MK200PR | * | ** | * | ||||||
MK200PS | ** |
*: Workable **: Recommended