The detergent thickener includes HEC, MHEC, HPMC, sodium chloride, potassium nitro and so on. It can improve the viscosity, and increase the perception of detergent. Detergent thickener is a kind of detergent adjuvant.
In the decontamination process, Adjuvant can increase the action of detergent. It can improve the performance of washing, or reduce the amount of surface activity agent. Detergent thickener is an important part of detergent. There are many kinds of adjuvants, such as bleach, zeolite, detergent thickener, etc. (Detergent Adjuvants Types pdf)
All water-soluble cellulose ethers can be added to face masks, laundry detergents and shampoos as a detergent thickener. HPMC is a nonionic cellulose ether, which is one of the best detergent thickeners.
HPMC for detergent is also known as the daily chemical grade hydroxypropyl methylcellulose. Its applications include detergents, soaps, shampoos, body washes, facial cleansers, toothpaste, lotions, etc.
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, as a detergent thickener, is a common used additive. The thickening effect of HPMC in detergent can improve the viscosity of detergent, increase the stability of bubbles. Bring users a comfortable experience. As a detergent thickener, it has the following advantages:
1. Cold and heat resistant. the viscosity of detergent will not change with the temperature.
2. Electrolyte resistance. what ph does HPMC dissolve? It is stable in the ph range of 3-11.
3. Improve the fluidity of the system. HPMC is more a smooth cleaning effect, and improve skin quality.
HPMC uses in detergent is not only a detergent thickener but also an anti-reprecipitating agent. The decontamination effect of detergent is through the penetration between detergent and dirt. So dirt (oily substance and solid dirt) falls off. Then emulsify and disperse in solution. HPMC with a lot of negative charges can adsorb in removing dirt. Electrostatic repulsion increases. So the dirt washed down can disperse and suspend in water. It can prevent dirt from settling again.
But detergents quality does not depend on the viscosity, but on the active ingredients. This active component is from detergent interface active agent. Surfactants and auxiliaries are the two main chemical components of detergents. The function of adjuvant is to make the interface active agent play the role. Reducing the amount of interface active agent to improve the washing effect.
Many detergent manufacturers pay more attention to its transparency and dissolution rate. Transparency is required at least 95 percent. Such transparency standards will not affect the appearance of the detergent. It is more popular with consumers.
Detergents containing HPMC belong to low toxicity and mild toxicity. Up to now, no research has proved that HPMC as a detergent thickener will bring us cancer risk.
But, some customers often complain or even suspect that the use of items containing HPMC will cause certain physical diseases. For example, the consumption of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose supplements causes skin allergies and rashes. when eating bread containing HPMC, there will be stomach swelling pain, and nausea.
These physiological reactions do not rule out the influence of HPMC. But other factors are more likely to be the real culprit.
A recent study in mice published in the journal Cancer Research (Viennois et al., 2017) showed that regular consumption of dietary emulsifiers can prevent intestinal inflammation and colorectal cancer.
Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose detergent, if ingested, this phenomenon usually occurs in children. There will be oral mucosa burns, nausea, stomach pain, throat swelling, etc.
When buying detergent, we should pay attention to quality, such as the production and expiration date. We pay attention to the appearance of the detergent, especially whether the detergent is uniform, whether there is precipitation and suspended matter.