From Structure to Rheology: Thickening, Stabilization, and Selection Logic of Cellulose Ethers for Personal Care Applications

1 What Is Cellulose for Personal Care Applications?

1.1 Native Cellulose and Modified Cellulose for Personal Care Use

Cellulose is a natural linear polysaccharide composed of glucose units linked by β-1,4-glycosidic bonds. It is an important structural component of plant cell walls. Native cellulose contains a large number of hydroxyl groups along its molecular chains. These chains readily form hydrogen bonds with one another, resulting in tightly packed molecular arrangements and relatively high crystallinity. As a result, native cellulose generally does not dissolve directly in water.

In personal care formulations, the term “cellulose” usually does not refer to the direct use of native cellulose. Instead, it more often refers to modified cellulose ethers and related cellulose derivatives. Common types include hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC), hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC), hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC), methylcellulose (MC), and carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC; commonly listed as Cellulose Gum in cosmetic ingredient nomenclature).

These materials retain the polymeric backbone of cellulose while introducing substituent groups such as hydroxyethyl, hydroxypropyl, methyl, and carboxymethyl groups. These substitutions weaken the strong hydrogen-bonding interactions between native cellulose chains, allowing the materials to wet, hydrate, dissolve, or disperse in the aqueous phase. It is this structural modification that enables cellulose-based materials to provide thickening, rheology modification, suspension stabilization, syneresis control, and sensory improvement in personal care formulations such as hair care, skin care, and oral care products.

1.2 Core Functional Positioning of Cellulose in Personal Care

The most intuitive role of cellulose in personal care products is thickening, but cellulose is not simply responsible for “increasing viscosity.” In personal care formulations, cellulose functions as a class of aqueous-phase rheology modifiers. Its functional pathway can be summarized as follows:

① Structural modification improves hydration capability;

② After hydration, the molecular chains expand and extend in the aqueous phase;

③ The expanded polymer chains create flow resistance and chain entanglement;

④ The resulting rheological structure further influences viscosity, suspension, syneresis resistance, clarity, and in-use sensory properties.

Different cellulose derivatives have different areas of emphasis in formulations.

Type	Ionic Character	Common Personal Care Applications	Main Points of Focus
HEC	Nonionic	Shampoos, shower gels, facial cleansers, clear gels, aqueous phase of emulsions	Clarity, thickening efficiency, surfactant compatibility, salt tolerance
HPMC	Nonionic	Hair and body care products, gels, film-forming and sensory modification systems	Rheology modification, film-forming properties, spreadability, formulation compatibility
CMC / Cellulose Gum	Anionic	Toothpastes, pastes, suspension systems, anti-syneresis systems	Paste structure, shear-thinning behavior, syneresis resistance, adaptability to ionic environments
HPC	Nonionic	Film-forming, binding, and specialty sensory systems	Film-forming properties, solvent compatibility, sensory modification
MC	Nonionic	Thickening, film-forming, and specialty rheological systems	Thermal response, thickening performance, and film-forming behavior

Note: The water solubility and rheological behavior of different cellulose ethers are related to the type of substituent, degree of substitution, molecular weight, temperature, and specific commercial grade. MC, HPMC, HPC, and related materials also exhibit a certain degree of temperature dependence. In practical selection, the preparation temperature, application temperature, and stability test results of the target formulation should be considered.

2 Structure Determines Performance: Four Key Variables of Cellulose Ethers

2.1 Cellulose Backbone: Providing the Polymeric Framework

The foundation of cellulose ethers is the cellulose backbone. The longer the backbone, the higher the molecular weight generally is. After hydration, longer chains can occupy a larger volume in the aqueous phase and are more likely to entangle with other molecular chains. This is why high-viscosity grades of cellulose can significantly increase system viscosity even at relatively low use levels. The mechanism is not simply “water absorption and swelling”; rather, hydrated long-chain molecules increase the internal resistance to flow within the system.

However, longer molecular chains do not necessarily mean better formulation performance. Excessively high molecular weight may lead to slow dissolution, obvious stringiness, reduced spreadability, and difficulty in pumping. For products such as shampoos, shower gels, and serum gels, consumers perceive not only viscosity but also whether the product dispenses smoothly, spreads naturally, rinses cleanly, and avoids tackiness or stringiness.

2.2 Substituent Groups: Determining Hydration, Dissolution, and Compatibility

Native cellulose is difficult to dissolve in water mainly because of strong hydrogen bonding and the compact structure between molecular chains. Cellulose ethers introduce substituent groups at the hydroxyl positions of the cellulose molecule, weakening interchain interactions and allowing water molecules to more easily penetrate between the chains. This improves hydration and dissolution capability.

Different types of substituent groups lead to different formulation behaviors in cellulose derivatives. Hydroxyethyl substitution usually helps improve water solubility and suitability for clear systems; therefore, hydroxyethylcellulose is commonly used in hair and body care products, clear gels, and aqueous-phase thickening systems for emulsions. Hydroxypropyl and methyl substituents influence the hydration, film formation, and rheological characteristics of cellulose molecules, so hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, hydroxypropylcellulose, and methylcellulose can be used in systems requiring different sensory profiles, film-forming properties, and rheology modification. Carboxymethyl substitution gives carboxymethyl cellulose and its sodium salt an anionic character, making them commonly used in toothpastes, pastes, suspension systems, and anti-syneresis systems. However, in high-electrolyte environments, especially formulations containing multivalent metal ions or cationic components, their compatibility, viscosity stability, clarity, and syneresis risk need to be carefully evaluated.

2.3 Molecular Weight: Determining Thickening Efficiency and Affecting Sensory Properties

Molecular weight is an important factor affecting the viscosity grade of cellulose. In general, the higher the molecular weight, the longer the molecular chains; after hydration, chain entanglement becomes more pronounced, and thickening efficiency increases. However, high molecular weight also increases formulation risks. Long-chain structures tend to produce stronger extensional responses, which may cause stringiness when a product is dispensed, applied, or poured. If a system shows high apparent viscosity but insufficient low-shear support, poor suspension, syneresis, or phase separation may still occur.

The selection of viscosity grade should be based on product form. Clear gels usually emphasize clarity and low stringiness; hair and body care products focus on dispensing, spreading, and rinsing feel; toothpastes require ribbon formation, shear-thinning behavior, and syneresis resistance; emulsions and creams focus on aqueous-phase structure, heat-storage stability, and application feel.

2.4 Substitution Uniformity and Purity: Determining Clarity, Stability, and Batch-to-Batch Consistency

Even when products are all labeled as hydroxyethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, or carboxymethyl cellulose, their performance in formulations may vary significantly. These differences are often closely related to the uniformity of substituent distribution, purity level, insoluble matter content, particle size control, and batch-to-batch consistency.

When substitution is uneven, some molecular chains may not hydrate fully, which can easily lead to reduced clarity, localized gel particles, dissolution residues, or viscosity fluctuations. When insoluble matter, ash, or other impurities are relatively high, haze, fiber specks, black spots, precipitation, or a rough appearance may occur in clear hair and body care products, clear gels, and high-transparency aqueous products.

Cellulose products with higher levels of quality control usually have stricter specifications for viscosity range, substitution uniformity, insoluble matter, clarity, ash content, microorganisms, and batch-to-batch consistency. Their value lies in helping formulations achieve stable appearance, reproducible rheological performance, and reduced risk during production scale-up.

3 Hydration Process: The Prerequisite for Cellulose to Perform Its Rheological Function

3.1 Hydration Is the Prerequisite for Cellulose Function

After cellulose ether is added to the aqueous phase, it does not immediately form stable viscosity. It must go through wetting, dispersion, water uptake, hydration, and molecular-chain expansion. Only when the molecular chains are fully hydrated and expanded can they form effective flow resistance and chain-entanglement structures.

3.2 The Nature of Lumping and “Fish Eyes” Is Uneven Hydration

Lumps and “fish eyes” commonly seen in production are usually caused by rapid water absorption on the outer surface of the powder particles, which forms a gel layer and prevents water from continuing to enter the interior of the particles. As a result, the outer layer is hydrated while the inside remains dry powder.

This problem may arise from the method of addition, but it may also be related to the particle size, surface treatment, wetting rate, and dispersibility of the cellulose itself. For cold-process systems, clear gels, continuous production, or large-scale powder addition, whether cellulose can disperse easily and hydrate uniformly is often more important than the viscosity value alone. When evaluating cellulose, it is not advisable to observe only the viscosity immediately after addition. The viscosity after 24 hours, clarity, particle residues, and overall system state should also be observed.

Phenomenon	Main Cause	Impact on Formulation
Lumping, fish eyes	Outer layer gels rapidly while the interior remains unhydrated	Affects appearance, production efficiency, and viscosity stability
Slow viscosity build-up	Incomplete molecular-chain expansion	Leads to inaccurate initial viscosity assessment
Reduced clarity	Incomplete dissolution or high insoluble matter	Not suitable for high-clarity systems
Localized grainy feel	Uneven dispersion or insufficient hydration	Affects skin feel and appearance
Viscosity changes after standing	Hydration process is still continuing	Affects batch evaluation and shelf stability

4 From Molecular Chains to Rheology: Why Cellulose Can Thicken and Show Shear-Thinning Behavior

4.1 The Essence of Thickening Is Changing the Flow State of the Aqueous Phase

The essence of cellulose ether thickening is that hydrated polymer chains create flow resistance in the aqueous phase. When cellulose molecular chains are fully expanded, they occupy a certain volume in the aqueous phase. When the system flows, water molecules, surfactant micelles, oil droplets, powders, or other dispersed phases must move between the polymer chains. The longer the molecular chains, the higher the concentration, and the more complete the hydration, the greater the resistance to internal movement within the system. Macroscopically, this appears as an increase in viscosity.

When the cellulose concentration reaches a certain level, molecular chains also begin to entangle with one another. During flow, the system must overcome friction, entanglement, and steric obstruction between chain segments, so viscosity increases further. This is why the same type of cellulose can meet different product requirements through different viscosity grades: low-viscosity grades are suitable for lightweight systems, while high-viscosity grades are suitable for high-consistency or strongly supportive systems. However, high-viscosity grades are also more likely to cause stringiness, slow dissolution, and a heavier sensory feel.

4.2 Shear-Thinning Behavior Supports “Stability at Rest and Smoothness in Use”

Many cellulose ether aqueous solutions and cellulose-containing personal care systems exhibit shear-thinning behavior. In other words, they have relatively high viscosity under low-shear or static conditions, while their viscosity decreases and flowability improves under shear actions such as squeezing, pumping, spreading, stirring, or tooth brushing.

This rheological behavior is very important for personal care products. Shampoos and shower gels need appropriate cling on the bottle wall and in the hand, but they should not feel overly draggy during dispensing and spreading. Toothpaste needs to remain stable in the tube without syneresis, dispense smoothly, and form a complete ribbon on the toothbrush. Serum gels need to maintain a certain shape at rest while spreading quickly during application.

4.3 Products with the Same Viscosity May Still Feel Different in Use

Viscosity is a result obtained under specific test conditions and cannot fully reflect all rheological characteristics of a product. Even if two cellulose products show similar viscosity at the same concentration, their actual sensory performance may differ.

These differences may arise from the following factors: ① different molecular weight distributions; ② different substitution uniformity; ③ different hydration rates; ④ different degrees of chain entanglement; ⑤ different structural recovery rates after shear; and ⑥ different compatibility with surfactants, salts, fragrances, preservatives, or active ingredients.

5 From Rheology to Stability: Why Cellulose Can Provide Suspension, Syneresis Control, and Improved System Stability

5.1 Stability Comes from Continuous-Phase Viscosity and Weak Network Structures

In personal care formulations, cellulose is often used to help reduce phase separation, sedimentation, creaming, and syneresis. Its stabilizing effect mainly comes from two aspects.

① Increasing the viscosity of the continuous phase. After the flow resistance of the aqueous phase increases, the migration rate of dispersed phases such as oil droplets, powders, abrasives, pearlescent flakes, and air bubbles decreases.

② Forming a certain degree of chain entanglement or a weak network structure. At rest, this structure can provide support for dispersed phases and reduce the risk of sedimentation, creaming, or aggregation.

However, different cellulose ethers do not provide the same level of low-shear support or structural recovery. If a system requires long-term suspension, anti-settling performance, or syneresis resistance, it is still necessary to confirm performance through low-shear viscosity, yield value, thixotropic recovery, centrifugation, and long-term stability tests. When necessary, cellulose may be combined with other rheology modifiers.

5.2 Cellulose Provides Different Stabilizing Effects in Different Products

In clear hair and body care products, cellulose is mainly used to build appropriate viscosity, improve cling, and control flowability, while also balancing clarity, salt tolerance, and surfactant compatibility.

In emulsions and creams, cellulose mainly acts in the aqueous phase. By increasing continuous-phase viscosity and improving the aqueous-phase structure, it helps reduce the risk of oil droplet migration, coalescence, or creaming. It is usually not the primary emulsifier, but rather an auxiliary structural material that supports emulsion stability. In toothpastes and oral care products, cellulose-based materials such as CMC and HEC can help build paste structure, improve shear-thinning behavior, reduce syneresis risk, and support the uniform distribution of abrasives in the system. In suspension-type products, the key role of cellulose is to provide support under static conditions so that pearlescent flakes, particles, abrasives, or other insoluble materials remain uniformly distributed during shelf life.

5.3 The Complete Formulation Determines Final Stability

The behavior of cellulose in aqueous solution is not equivalent to its behavior in a complete personal care formulation. Surfactants, salts, pH, fragrances, preservatives, polyols, cationic conditioning agents, powders, and oils can all affect the hydration state, chain entanglement, and rheological behavior of cellulose.

For example, changes in salt content in cleansing systems can affect system viscosity and clarity; hair and body care products containing cationic conditioning agents need to consider compatibility with anionic cellulose; and in toothpaste systems, abrasives, humectants, foaming agents, and electrolytes coexist, placing higher requirements on the syneresis resistance and shear-thinning behavior of cellulose.

6 How to Interpret Key Indicators: What Viscosity, Solubility, Clarity, and Stability Tell You

6.1 Viscosity: Evaluating Thickening Efficiency, but Not as the Only Criterion

Viscosity is a common indicator for cellulose, but it must be interpreted together with test conditions, including test concentration, temperature, spindle, rotational speed, test time, and dissolution method. Viscosity values obtained under different test conditions cannot be directly compared across systems.

Viscosity mainly answers three questions:

① Under specified conditions, how much flow resistance can the cellulose generate?

② At the target addition level, can it reach the consistency required by the formulation?

③ In the complete formulation, can the viscosity remain stable?

Viscosity alone cannot explain clarity, suspension capability, stringiness, salt tolerance, or long-term stability. High-viscosity grades may provide higher thickening efficiency, but they may also cause slow dissolution, stringiness, and a heavier sensory feel. Therefore, viscosity should be used as a starting point for selection, not as the final basis for judgment.

6.2 Solubility: Determining Whether Full Hydration Can Be Achieved

Solubility directly affects production efficiency and final formulation performance. Cellulose with good solubility is easier to disperse uniformly and hydrate fully, reducing lumps, fish eyes, particle residues, and viscosity fluctuations. Solubility is especially critical for clear gels, clear hair and body care products, cold-process systems, and large-scale production. If cellulose cannot hydrate fully, even if its theoretical viscosity is high, it may not deliver stable and uniform thickening performance in the actual formulation.

6.3 Clarity: Reflecting Dissolution Completeness, Purity, and Compatibility

Clarity is not merely an appearance requirement; it is a comprehensive reflection of cellulose dissolution completeness, substitution uniformity, insoluble matter control, and formulation compatibility. When a clear system shows turbidity, haze, flocculent matter, or particle specks, the causes may include insufficient cellulose hydration, high insoluble matter, uneven substitution distribution, or compatibility issues caused by salts, fragrances, surfactants, or other components in the formulation.

6.4 Stability: Determining Whether the Rheological Structure Can Withstand Formulation Conditions

Stability includes heat-storage stability, freeze-thaw stability, pH stability, salt tolerance, surfactant compatibility, and long-term viscosity retention. For personal care products, stability cannot be assessed only by the initial state. Many systems may have normal appearance and viscosity immediately after preparation, but after exposure to high temperature, low temperature, centrifugation, long-term storage, or fragrance addition, they may show viscosity loss, phase separation, syneresis, turbidity, or sedimentation.

6.5 Relationship Between Key Indicators and Formulation Evaluation

Indicator	Surface Meaning	What It Helps Evaluate
Viscosity	Degree of thickness	Molecular weight, hydration degree, chain-entanglement ability, and thickening efficiency
Solubility	Whether it can dissolve properly	Wetting, dispersion, hydration rate, and lumping risk
Clarity	Visual transparency	Insoluble matter, substitution uniformity, purity, and system compatibility
Stability	Whether the system changes after storage	Whether the rheological structure can tolerate temperature, salts, pH, and formulation components
Salt tolerance	Viscosity change after salt addition	Adaptability of the hydration layer and system structure to electrolytes
pH adaptability	Stability under acidic or alkaline conditions	Stability of molecular chains and substituent groups at different pH values
Particle size and surface treatment	Powder morphology	Ease of addition, dispersion rate, and fish-eye risk
Purity and insoluble matter	Impurity level	Clarity, appearance, odor, and risk of interference with the system
Batch-to-batch consistency	Whether each batch performs consistently	Process control capability and reliability in scale-up production

7 How to Select: Working Backward from Product Type, Formulation Composition, and Abnormal Phenomena

7.1 Start with the Product Type

Cellulose selection should begin by identifying the product type, followed by determining the required structure and performance indicators. Different products have different requirements for cellulose.

Product Type	Core Requirements	Selection Focus
Clear shampoos, shower gels, facial cleansers	Clarity, smoothness, appropriate cling, salt tolerance	Prioritize the clarity, surfactant compatibility, salt response, and viscosity retention of HEC or suitable HPMC grades
Serum gels, jelly gels	Clear appearance, fine texture, low stringiness, low graininess	Focus on high clarity, low insoluble matter, appropriate molecular weight, and full hydration
Emulsions, creams	Aqueous-phase stability, heat-storage viscosity retention, spreadability	Focus on aqueous-phase structure, rheological stability, and skin feel
Toothpastes, oral care products	Ribbon formation, syneresis resistance, shear-thinning behavior, abrasive suspension	Focus on the paste structure, ionic adaptability, and syneresis resistance of CMC or HEC
Suspension-type products	Uniform distribution of particles, pearlescent flakes, and abrasives	Focus on low-shear support, long-term suspension, and viscosity recovery ability

7.2 Then Determine Whether the Formulation Composition Affects Cellulose Performance

Other components in the complete formulation can affect cellulose performance. If the formulation contains relatively high levels of salts, high surfactant content, cationic conditioning agents, fragrances, acids, or abrasives, cellulose selection should be confirmed through testing in the complete formulation. The following factors should be carefully evaluated during selection.

Formulation Factor	Possible Impact
Surfactants	Affect viscosity, clarity, and rheological structure
Salts and electrolytes	May change viscosity and hydration state
pH	Affects the stability and compatibility of some cellulose derivatives
Fragrances	May affect clarity and system stability
Preservatives	May affect system compatibility and long-term stability
Cationic conditioning agents	May create compatibility issues with anionic cellulose
Polyols	Affect hydration rate, solvent environment, and skin feel
Powders, abrasives, pearlescent flakes	Increase requirements for suspension support and anti-settling capability

7.3 Lab-Scale Testing Should Cover Viscosity, Appearance, Stability, and Sensory Properties

Cellulose selection is recommended to include at least the following tests:

Test Item	Evaluation Purpose
Initial viscosity	Evaluates basic thickening efficiency
24-hour viscosity	Determines whether hydration is complete and whether viscosity continues to change
Clarity and appearance	Evaluates dissolution completeness, insoluble matter, and compatibility
Heat storage at 45°C	Evaluates structural retention under high-temperature conditions
Freeze-thaw test	Evaluates stability after temperature cycling
Centrifugation test	Evaluates risk of phase separation, sedimentation, or syneresis
State before and after salt addition	Evaluates salt tolerance and viscosity retention
State before and after fragrance addition	Evaluates fragrance compatibility
State after pH adjustment	Evaluates acid-base adaptability
Sensory evaluation	Evaluates stringiness, tackiness, spreadability, and rinsing feel
Batch retesting	Evaluates supply stability and production controllability

7.4 Working Backward from Abnormal Phenomena to Selection Issues

When abnormalities occur in a formulation, the cellulose structure or fit with the system can be inferred from the observed phenomena.

Formulation Phenomenon	Possible Cause	Adjustment Direction
Lumping, fish eyes	Powder wets too quickly and forms an outer gel layer; dispersion process is unsuitable	Adjust the addition method and select an easy-dispersing grade
Low initial viscosity followed by an increase after standing	Hydration is incomplete	Extend hydration time and optimize dispersion conditions
Poor clarity	High insoluble matter, uneven substitution, incomplete dissolution, or system incompatibility	Select a high-clarity grade and optimize the hydration process
High viscosity but poor suspension	High apparent viscosity but insufficient low-shear support	Adjust the cellulose grade and, if necessary, combine with other rheology modifiers
Obvious stringiness	Molecular weight is too high or chain entanglement is too strong	Lower the viscosity grade, adjust dosage, or optimize the polymer combination
Viscosity drop after salt addition	Electrolytes affect hydration state or system structure	Select a grade with better salt tolerance and re-evaluate the salt response curve
Viscosity loss after heat storage	Insufficient structural retention at high temperature or poor system compatibility	Conduct heat-storage screening and adjust the cellulose type or formulation composition
Syneresis in toothpaste	Insufficient aqueous-phase structure and inadequate paste support	Select a CMC or HEC grade with better syneresis resistance
Pilling during application	Film formation is too strong, polymer compatibility is poor, or dosage is too high	Reduce dosage and adjust the polymer combination
Batch-to-batch performance fluctuation	Unstable control of viscosity, substitution uniformity, or insoluble matter	Select a supply grade with better batch-to-batch consistency

8. Product Tables of Cellulose Ethers and Related Rheology Materials for Personal Care Applications

The following products are listed primarily as representative materials for scientific research, formulation screening, and structure–performance studies. Whether they are suitable for the production of finished cosmetic products, regulatory requirements, or specific target standards should be determined based on the product COA, SDS, specification sheet, regulatory compliance documents, and actual supply grade.

Table 1 Cellulose Substrates, Cellulose Ethers, and Cellulose Derivatives

Category	CAS No.	Aladdin Catalog No.	Name	Specification or Purity	Product Features and Applications
Cellulose substrates and microcrystalline cellulose	9004-34-6	C434462	Cellulose	Microcrystalline powder	A basic material for structural studies of cellulose derivatives; can be used for studies on microcrystalline cellulose dispersion, suspension, filling, and particle structure
Cellulose substrates and microcrystalline cellulose	9004-34-6	C104843	Cellulose powder	≤25 μm	Can be used to study cellulose particle dispersion, powder suspension, and the influence of particle size on system appearance and rheology
Cellulose substrates and micro-/nanocellulose	9004-34-6	C1520462	Cellulose	Nanocrystals, L: ~200 nm, OD: ~10 nm	Can be used for studies on nanocellulose dispersion, suspension support, gel structure, and composite rheological systems
Water-soluble nonionic cellulose ether	9004-62-0	H434475	2-Hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC)	Average Mw ~380,000	A typical water-soluble cellulose ether; can be used for studies on hair and body care products, clear gels, aqueous-phase thickening in emulsions, rheology modification, and suspension stabilization
Water-soluble nonionic cellulose ether	9004-65-3	H1506257	Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC)	Substitution type 2910, viscosity: 400 mPa·s, methoxy: 28–30%; hydroxypropyl: 7.0–12%	Can be used to study the relationship between substituent structure and hydration, film formation, thickening, and rheological behavior
Water-soluble nonionic cellulose ether	9004-64-2	H753230	Hydroxypropylcellulose (HPC)	Viscosity 4000–6500 mPa·s, 2% aqueous solution at 20°C	Can be used for studies on cellulose ether hydration, film formation, binding, gel texture, and aqueous-phase rheology modification
Water-soluble nonionic cellulose ether	9004-67-5	M742525	Methylcellulose (MC)	3,500–5,600 mPa·s, 2% aqueous solution at 20°C	Can be used for studies on cellulose ether thickening, film formation, temperature-responsive rheology, and aqueous-phase structure
Water-soluble nonionic cellulose ether	9004-67-5	M112867	Methylcellulose (MC)	1500 mPa·s	Can be used to study the effects of different viscosity grades of cellulose ethers on viscosity build-up, spreadability, and flow behavior
Water-soluble nonionic cellulose ether	9032-42-2	M498720	Methyl 2-hydroxyethyl cellulose	Viscosity 70000–80000 mPa·s, 2% in H₂O at 20°C	Can be used for studies on high-viscosity cellulose ether hydration, chain entanglement, suspension support, and high-consistency system rheology
Carboxymethyl cellulose products	9004-32-4	C104986	Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC)	Viscosity: 1000–1400 mPa·s, USP grade	A typical anionic cellulose derivative; can be used for studies on toothpastes, pastes, suspension systems, syneresis resistance, and shear-thinning systems
Carboxymethyl cellulose products	9000-11-7	C1455160	Carboxymethyl cellulose (CM-32)	—	Can be used for studies on carboxymethyl substitution structure, thickening, dispersion, water retention, and aqueous-phase stabilization
Carboxymethyl cellulose products	9000-11-7	C1509617	Carboxymethyl cellulose solution (CMC, 4%, sterile)	BioReagent, for cell culture, sterile, 4%	A sterile carboxymethyl cellulose solution; can be used in experiments involving hydrogels, dispersion systems, and biologically relevant viscosity systems
Cellulose esters and film-forming cellulose	9004-35-7	C106244	Cellulose acetate	Acetyl content 39.8 wt%, hydroxyl content 3.5 wt%	A cellulose ester material; can be used for studies on film formation, membrane materials, coating, and hydrophobically modified cellulose structures
Hydrophobic film-forming cellulose ether	9004-57-3	E110670	Ethyl cellulose (EC)	9–11 mPa·s	A water-insoluble cellulose ether; can be used for studies on film formation, coating, water-resistant films, and oil-phase-related systems

Table 2 Natural Polysaccharide Products Related to Rheology, Suspension, and Film Formation

Category	CAS No.	Aladdin Catalog No.	Name	Specification or Purity	Product Features and Applications
Natural polysaccharide rheology modifier	11138-66-2	G104873	Xanthan gum	PharmPure™, USP	A typical shear-thinning polysaccharide; can be used for studies on suspension stabilization, gel rheology, cellulose combinations, and salt-tolerant systems
Natural polysaccharide rheology modifier	9000-30-0	G109238	Guar gum	Viscosity: 5000–5500 cps, 200 mesh	A natural galactomannan; can be used for studies on aqueous-phase thickening, suspension, texture modification, and cellulose combinations
Natural polysaccharide gelling aid	9000-07-1	C107615	Carrageenan	Reagent grade	Can be used for studies on gel formation, thickening, suspension stabilization, and polysaccharide composite rheological systems
Natural polysaccharide rheology modifier	9005-38-3	A434499	Alginic acid sodium salt	From brown algae, medium viscosity	Can be used for studies on hydrogels, suspension, thickening, ionically crosslinked gels, and natural polysaccharide rheology
Natural polysaccharide film-forming material	9057-02-7	P121048	Pullulan	—	Can be used for studies on film formation, moisturizing film layers, transparent film feel, and polysaccharide film-forming systems
Moisturizing and viscoelastic polysaccharide	9067-32-7	S774025	Sodium hyaluronate	European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.)	Can be used for studies on moisturization, viscoelasticity, gel skin feel, hydration structure, and rheology in skin care formulations

Table 3 Synthetic Polymer Products Related to Rheology, Gels, and Aqueous-Phase Stabilization

Category	CAS No.	Aladdin Catalog No.	Name	Specification or Purity	Product Features and Applications
Synthetic polymer rheology modifier	9003-01-4	P661414	Polyacrylic acid (PAA)	Viscosity ≤2000 cP at 25°C	Can be used for studies on aqueous-phase thickening, viscosity adjustment, gel structure, polyelectrolyte rheology, and cellulose combinations
Synthetic polymer rheology modifier	9003-04-7	P434409	Sodium polyacrylate (PAAS)	Average Mw ~8000, 45% in H₂O	Can be used for studies on aqueous-phase thickening, dispersion stabilization, polyelectrolyte systems, and water-absorbent polymers
Synthetic gel rheology modifier	9007-20-9	C299587	Carbomer 940 (Carbopol® 940 polymer)	—	A typical synthetic gelling agent; can be used for comparative studies on clear gels, emulsion gels, thickening and stabilization, and cellulose combinations

Note: The above products are representative Aladdin products for scientific research and formulation studies. More product specifications, grades, and COA information can be searched on the Aladdin website by “product name/CAS/catalog number.”

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