Cellulose is the main component of plant cell walls. It is the most widely distributed and abundant polysaccharide in nature, accounting for more than 50% of the carbon content in the plant kingdom. Among them, cotton has a cellulose content of nearly 100%, which is the purest natural source of cellulose. In general wood, cellulose accounts for 40-50%, and there are 10-30% hemicellulose and 20-30% lignin.
Cellulose ether is a general term for a series of cellulose derivatives generated by natural cellulose as raw material, through a series of chemical and physical processes such as alkalization, etherification reaction, and post-treatment under certain conditions. It is a product formed when the hydroxyl groups on the cellulose molecular chain are partially or completely replaced by ether groups. Cellulose macromolecules have intrachain and interchain hydrogen bonds, and are difficult to dissolve in water and almost all organic solvents. However, after etherification and the introduction of ether groups, the hydrophilicity can be improved and the solubility in water and organic solvents can be greatly improved. The typical molecular structure of cellulose ether is shown in the figure below:
Cellulose ether is known as "industrial MSG" and has excellent properties such as solution thickening, good water solubility, suspension or latex stability, protective colloid effect, film-forming, and water retention. It is widely used in many fields such as building materials, medicine, food, textiles, daily chemicals, oil extraction, mining, papermaking, polymerization, honeycomb ceramics, aerospace and new energy batteries. Cellulose ether has the advantages of wide application, small unit usage, good modification effect, and environmental friendliness. It can significantly improve and optimize product performance in the field of its addition, which is conducive to improving resource utilization efficiency and product added value. It is an indispensable environmentally friendly additive in all fields of the national economy.