Carboxymethyl Cellulose, also called CMC, E466 or Sodium Carboxymethyl Cellulose, is a thickening rheology modifier, stabilizer, moisture retention agent, texture/bodybuilding agent, suspension agent, and binding agent in food and personal care products. 

 

 

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is also a versatile food additive derived from cellulose with water solubility, viscosity, and emulsification properties.

Carboxymethyl Cellulose provides functional benefits such as texture enhancement, appearance improvement, and shelf life extension in processed foods.

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is widely used in many processed foods, from ice cream and sauces to salad dressings and bakery products. 

This ingredient has a remarkable capacity to improve texture, enhance the appearance of food items, and lengthen their shelf life. 

 

 

Carboxymethyl Cellulose; Carboxymethyl Cellulose; CM-Cellulose sodium salt; Cellulose glycolic acid, sodium salt; Cellulose sodium glycolate; Cellulose, carboxymethyl ether, sodium salt; Sodium carboxmethylcellulose; cas no: 9004-32-4

Carboxymethylcellulose sodium salt

Synonym(s): Sodium carboxymethylcellulose; Carboxymethylcellulose, Sodium Salt; Sodium CMC; CMC Sodium Salt; Cellulose Gum; Na-CMC; E466

CAS No: 9004-32-4

E466

CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE

Functional Classes:

Bulking agent

Emulsifier

Firming agent

Gelling agent

Glazing agent

Humectant

Stabilizer

Thickener

CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE is prepared from cellulose by alkali, monochloro-acetic acid, or sodium salt treatment. 

Chemical names Sodium salt of carboxymethyl ether of cellulose

C.A.S. number 9004-32-4

CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE is one of the most essential products of cellulose ethers, formed by natural cellulose modification as a kind of cellulose derivate with an ether structure.

CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE is an anionic polymer with a clarified solution dissolved in cold or hot water. 

Carboxymethyl Cellulose affects the binding and body structure of foods when added.

Adding Carboxymethyl Cellulose, derived from regular cellulose, gives many processed foods their desired texture and appearance.

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is a hydrocolloid derived from cellulose. 

Classified as E466, Carboxymethyl Cellulose emulsifies ice cream, yogurt, salad dressings, beverages, and meat products.

Carboxymethyl Cellulose can play an emulsifying stabilizing role in drinks containing fat and protein. 

In general, soy milk, cocoa milk, peanut milk, juice milk, coconut milk, almond milk, and fruit juice soymilk are characterized by containing different degrees of fat and a certain amount of protein, tending to separate and float during storage, forming an unsightly “collar,” and mainly affecting the appearance of products. 

In addition, protein is easy for condensation and separation. Especially for low-pH products, protein is bound to condense.

To solve these problems in quality, an appropriate amount of Carboxymethyl Cellulose can be added because CMC is dissolved in water to become a transparent, stable colloid. 

The protein particles become the particles with the same electric charge under the protection of colloid film, making protein particles stable. 

 

Carboxymethyl Cellulose also has a specific emulsifying effect while reducing the surface tension between fat and water simultaneously and making fat sufficiently emulsified so that quality problems can be satisfactorily resolved. 

 

Therefore, Carboxymethyl Cellulose is often applied in the food industry as a thickener, making food maintain a uniform flavor, concentration, and texture.

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is found in numerous products. 

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is commonly used as a thickener in ice cream, yogurt, beverages, desserts, and baked goods. 

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is also found in cosmetics, eye drops, and toothpaste. 

In addition, it’s frequently used as a binding agent in medications and nutritional supplements.

CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE, called CMC or Cellulose gum, is an efficient thickener and binder for food and water-based applications, including adhesives, coatings, inks, gel packs, drilling mud, and battery electrodes.

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is a cellulose derivative, an ionic cellulose gum. 

Due to its unique thickening, suspending adhesion, and water retention properties are widely used in various industrial fields.

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is generally divided into 3 grades depending on the purity: the food high-purity grade (with a content of more than 99.5%), the industrial grade (with a content of more than 90%), and crude products (with a content of more than 65%). 

According to the viscosity (molecular weight), there are 3 types: high viscosity (with a 1% solution viscosity of 5000-8500 Pa·S), medium viscosity (with a 1% solution viscosity of 1000-5000 Pa·S), and low viscosity (with the 1% solution viscosity of 5-1000 Pa·S). 

Therefore, Carboxymethyl Cellulose has many varieties suitable for the requirements of various applications.

PRODUCT DESCRIPTION 

Carboxymethyl Cellulose of ATAMAN CHEMICALS is a highly purified sodium carboxymethylcellulose and quickly hot or cold water soluble, low viscosity anionic polymer that provides unique functions in different food applications. 

According to the different purity levels, Carboxymethyl Cellulose is in the appearance of a white or yellowish powder and is soluble in cold and hot water.

 

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is divided into various models depending on the degree of substitution, solution viscosity, and purity. 

Heating Carboxymethyl Cellulosesolution, the viscosity of CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE decreases with increasing temperatures. 

As long as the temperature does not exceed 50 ℃, this effect is reversible because, kept at higher temperatures for a long time, the alkaline substances in the solution can cause the degradation of CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE.

The solution viscosity remains normal in a wide range of pH values but is the most stable in pH 7-9. 

As the pH value decreases, the solution will be acidified. 

Carboxymethyl CelluloseC will gradually change from the salt type into the water-insoluble acid type and sediment from the solution. 

When the pH value is below 4, most salt types change into the acid type, form a three-dimensional network structure, and precipitate out. 

Generally speaking, the higher the DS value of CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE is, the better the compatibility with salts will be. 

Adding salt into the CARBOXYMETHYL CELLULOSE solution can have better effects than dissolving it in salt water.

FEATURES AND BENEFITS 

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is an additive in food that thickens, suspends, emulsifies, stabilizes, films, forms, and provides acid resistance and other functions. 

Some foods that may contain carboxymethyl cellulose include:

Baked Goods: Carboxymethyl Cellulose can be used in baked goods such as bread, cakes, and pastries to improve texture and moisture retention.

Dairy Products: Carboxymethyl Cellulose might be present in ice cream, yogurt, and other dairy products to enhance texture and prevent ice crystal formation.

Sauces and Condiments: Carboxymethyl Cellulose can be found in various sauces, dressings, and condiments as a thickening agent to improve consistency.

Beverages: Some beverages, especially those with pulp or particles suspended in them, might use CMC to prevent settling and separation.

Processed Meats: Processed meats like sausages and deli meats could contain CMC to improve water retention and overall product texture.

Frozen Foods: Carboxymethyl Cellulose is often used in frozen foods like frozen dinners and ready-to-eat meals to maintain texture and quality during freezing and reheating.

Canned Foods: Carboxymethyl Cellulose can be used in canned foods to stabilize suspensions and emulsions, preventing ingredient separation.

Gluten-Free Products: Carboxymethyl Cellulose is sometimes used in gluten-free products to mimic the texture and viscosity that gluten provides.

Instant Foods: Instant soups, noodles, and mashed potatoes might contain Carboxymethyl Cellulose to aid in quick preparation while maintaining the desired texture.

Desserts: Some desserts, including puddings, gelatins, and fruit fillings, might use Carboxymethyl Cellulose for texture enhancement.

Baby Foods: Carboxymethyl Cellulose can be present in certain foods to provide consistency and stability.

It's important to note that Carboxymethyl Cellulose is generally considered safe for consumption when used within the specified limits set by food regulatory authorities. However, like any food additive, some individuals might be sensitive to it, and excessive consumption should be avoided. 

Always check the ingredient list on food labels if you are concerned about the presence of carboxymethyl cellulose or any other additives.

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is used in food as:

Thickener. 

Carboxymethyl Cellulose can produce high viscosity at low concentrations. It also acts as a lubricant.

Emulsifier and stabilizer. 

Carboxymethyl Celluloseis an emulsifier and suspension stabilizer (e.g., in icings to control ice crystal size).

Water retention agent: 

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is a water binder that helps increase the shelf life of food.

Film-forming agent: 

Carboxymethyl Cellulose can produce a film on the surface of fried food, e.g., instant noodles, and prevent absorption of excessive vegetable oil.

Viscosity modifier.

The most common application of CMC is in bakery products like bread and cake preparation. 

It is possible to improve loaf quality and texture while reducing the cost of production by using less fat components.

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is used as an emulsifier in producing high-quality biscuits. 

With Carboxymethyl Cellulose, egg yolk and fats consumption is reduced, thus making biscuit manufacturing less expensive.

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is used in the production of such products as ice creams, cold drinks, snacks, instant noodles, lactic acid bacteria beverages, yogurt, fruit milk, fruit juice, bread, and biscuits.

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is an efficient food additive thanks to its resistance to such factors as heat, light, and mold. In addition, it is resistant when treated with commonly used chemicals. 

Moreover, compared to other food ingredients, it adds no caloric value to the manufactured products.

Carboxymethyl Cellulose can replace the role of guar gum, gelatin, agar, sodium alginate, and pectin in food production and is widely used in the modern food industry, such as cold products, solid beverages, juice, jam, yogurt drinks, condiments, instant noodles, baked products, and meat products.

In yogurt, Carboxymethyl Cellulose can prevent the aggregation and precipitation of milk protein, make it uniformly dispersed and suspended, maintain the stability of food quality, extend the shelf life of food, and adapt to the commonly used sterilization processes such as UHT and pasteurization. The recommended dosage is 0.3% -0.5%.

Used in ice cream, Carboxymethyl Cellulose can prevent the growth of ice crystals and improve the expansion rate resistance to melting, shaping, and taste; in instant noodles, it can increase the toughness of noodles and boiling resistance; in biscuits and pancakes, it enables to have good formability, smooth surface and not easily broken; in bread and cakes, CMC can control the viscosity of paste, improve the water retention and storability of bakery products.

Compared with similar products, it has such advantages as fast dissolution speed, good fluidity of the dissolved solution, uniformly distributed molecules, relatively large bulk specific gravity, high acid resistance, high salt tolerance, high transparency, less accessible celluloses, and fewer gels.

 

In different foods, Carboxymethyl Cellulose has various uses and dosages.

1. Application of Carboxymethyl Cellulose in soymilk. CMC can suspend, emulsify, and stabilize soybean milk. 

It can organically fuse the mixed slurry and prevent fat from floating or protein from sinking. 

Moreover, it can play an active role in whitening the color of soymilk, sweetening the taste, and removing the smell of beans.

2. Application of Carboxymethyl Cellulose in flour products.

(1) The application of Carboxymethyl Cellulose for food in bread production can make the honeycomb of bread uniform, increase its volume, reduce the phenomenon of slagging, make the bread not collapse, and have the function of heat preservation and freshness preservation.

(2) CMC in food can produce instant and rolled noodles, which can enhance the toughness of noodles, improve their cooking resistance, and make their taste delicate and lubricated. 

At the same time, adding CMC to instant noodles can save oil consumption, reduce production costs, and improve economic benefits.

Toothpaste -Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is mainly used as a thickener in toothpaste, enables the toothpaste to have a sure consistency, the paste into stripes, with a reasonable frame, not collapsing when attached to the toothpaste and does not dilute, so that the paste is smooth and delicate.

1. The products in our company have good acid tolerance and mildew resistance and good compatibility with other raw materials in the toothpaste;

2. The water solubility and water-retaining capacity are strong, making the paste not separate from oil and water;

3. It has suitable viscosity and thixotropic properties, is easy to disperse and swell in paste production, and is easy for filling production;

4. The colloid-protecting, suspending, and emulsifying abilities are vital.

 

Ceramic-Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose

Related Post: Effects of CMC on the Performance of Ceramic Slurry

Carboxymethyl Cellulose can be used in the ceramic body, glaze slurry, and fancy glaze. In the ceramic body, CMC can be used to improve the shaping of mud materials, facilitate the shaping of the green body, increase the flexural strength of the green body, and is an excellent enhancing agent; in the glaze slurry and fancy glaze, CMC can be used as a binder and plays the role of suspending, de-agglomeration and water retention.

1. Applications in the Ceramic Body

With a small amount, the plasticity of mud materials and the flexural strength of raw materials can be increased significantly; the loss on ignition is good, with no residue after ignition; the suspending and dispersing properties are strong, preventing raw material particles from coagulation.

2. Applications in the Ceramic Glaze Slurry

The dispersion and performance of protective colloids are excellent, making the glaze slurry in a stable dispersion state; it can effectively improve the surface tension of the glaze, prevent water from diffusing from the glaze into the embryoid body, and increase the smoothness of the glaze surface; under the condition of a small amount, it can effectively regulate the rheological property of glaze slurry, accessible for glazing; it can improve the binding properties of glaze, significantly improve the strength of glaze surface, and prevent the glaze from peeling; the delicateness of glaze surface is high, and the glaze slurry is stable.

3. Applications in the Ceramic Fancy Glaze

The resistance to acid and alkali is good, and the penetrability through the screen mesh is good, effectively reducing the number of rubbing of the mesh and reducing the chromatic aberration; the rheological property is suitable, and printing is smooth, with no insoluble.

 

Mining-Grade CMC

Related Post: Mechanism of CMC Inhibiting Gangue Minerals

1. In the mining industry, CMC is the binder of the pellet and the inhibitor of flotation, a raw material of the binder for forming mineral fines. 

The binder is an indispensable ingredient in pellet preparation, can improve the properties of wet bulbs, dry bulbs, and firing pellets, and has good adhesion and pellet-forming properties. 

The green pellet produced has good antiknock properties and relatively high compressive and falling strength of dry and wet bulbs while improving the grade of pellets.

2. Carboxymethyl Cellulose is also a modifier in the flotation process, mainly used for silicate gangue inhibitors for the inhibition of lead in the separation of copper and lead and sometimes used as the dispersing agent of mineral mud.

(1). Applications In the Pellets

Good pellet forming and water controlling properties; good dispersion and high wet-bulb strength; not easy deformation of pellet; good dry-bulb strength; high bursting temperature and strong ability to control the release of water inside the pellet; uniform distribution of pellet size; smooth pellet surface; and good metallurgical performance.

(2). Applications In the Flotation

Good water solubility and inhibiting solid ability improve the concentrate grade and obtain better beneficiation indicators, reducing the number of agents and the consumption of raw materials.

 

Paper-Grade Carboxymethyl Cellulose

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is used in the paper industry to prepare coated paper coatings. 

Carboxymethyl Cellulose can be used as the wet end additive and surface sizing agent. Our company provides different CMC products for papermaking to meet various customer needs.

 

Carboxymethyl Cellulose of Other Industrial Grades

Carboxymethyl Cellulose is widely used, adaptable, and an indispensable raw material in many industrial fields. 

In the synthetic detergent industry, CMC is one of the best active additives, with emulsifying, thickening, homogenizing, and protective colloid effects; 

In the coatings industry, Carboxymethyl Cellulose is the thickener and film-forming agent, can make product storage stable, has rheological properties excellent and easy for mechanical construction, and helps to improve the flexibility and gloss of coatings, 

In the welding electrode industry, Carboxymethyl Cellulose is the lubricant and gas-generating agent, with such characteristics as extruding performance, lubricity, and good resistance to shedding; 

In the battery industry, Carboxymethyl Cellulose is the binder, thickener, and dispersing agent; 

In the textile industry, Carboxymethyl Cellulose is the sizing agent and textile finishing agent, and in the printing paste, thickening, emulsifying, and suspending agents are used.