CELLOSIZE™ Hydroxyethyl Cellulose

CELLOSIZE™ Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) is a line of nonionic, water-soluble, cellulose based polymers from Dow.  Hydroxyethyl cellulose is produced by treating reacting alkali-cellulose with ethylene oxide.  This reaction converts some of the hydroxyl groups on the cellulose polymer to hydroxyethyl groups.  The resulting polymer is a cellulose ether that is primarily used as a thickener for water-based paint, ink, and adhesive formulations.

CELLOSIZE™ Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) grades are defined by their molecular weight or more specifically the viscosity of the aqueous solution that they produce at 2% by weight.  For example, CELLOSIZE™ QP-300 will produce a solution of 300 cPs when added to water at 2%.  Solutions of low molecular weight CELLOSIZE™ grades have a rheology that is near Newtonian and useful for applications that require a stable viscosity regardless of shear.  Solutions of high molecular weight CELLOSIZE™, however, behave in a non-Newtonian manner and will have a pseudo-plastic rheology.  This pseudoplasticity makes high viscosity grades of CELLOSIZE™ Hydroxyethyl Cellulose an ideal thickener for latex paint applications where the paint must stay on the brush, yet flow out easily upon brushing.

In addition to its useful nature as a thickening agent, CELLOSIZE Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) also provides the benefits of a suspension aid, binder, emulsifier, film former, emulsion stabilizer, dispersant, water retention aid, and protective colloid.

CELLOSIZE™ Hydroxyethyl Cellulose offers narrow viscosity ranges, consistent viscosity reproducibility, and excellent solution clarities. The applications for CELLOSIZE™ range but in the industrial space it is primarily used for general thickening applications in latex paints, household cleaners and tape-joint compounds.  Select a grade below for more information or contact us to speak with one of our dedicated product experts.


ChemPoint is a Dow authorized supplier of CELLOSIZE™ Hydroxyethyl Cellulose (HEC) in industrial applications, providing dedicated marketing, sales, order fulfillment, and technical support for customers located in the US, Canada, and  Western Europe.