What is Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC)?
Carboxymethyl Cellulose (CMC) is a water-soluble polymer and a chemical derivative of cellulose with carboxymethyl groups (-CH₂-COOH) added to its structure. This compound is used in various industries such as food, pharmaceutical, cosmetics, textiles, papermaking and oil drilling due to its thickening, gelling, stabilizing and film-forming properties.
CMC is usually produced in two forms:
Food Grade: Used as a stabilizer and thickening agent in food products such as ice cream, sauces, beverages and bread.
Industrial Grade: Used in the production of adhesives, paints, textiles, paper industries and oil drilling.
History of Carboxymethyl Cellulose
Carboxymethyl cellulose was first developed in the early 20th century. Its history includes the following stages:
1910s to 1920s: Early research on cellulose derivatives was conducted and the idea of chemical modification of cellulose was proposed.
1921: German scientist Jansen succeeded in synthesizing CMC for the first time and explained its production methods in an article.
1940s: With advances in organic chemistry, CMC was produced industrially and was used as a thickening agent in various industries.
1950s to 1970s: New applications for CMC were discovered in the food, pharmaceutical and oil drilling industries.
1980s onwards: Improved technologies were developed to produce CMC with higher quality and more optimal properties. Today, this compound is one of the most important additives in many industries.
CMC Properties
This substance dissolves in cold and hot water and forms a gel. This material is mainly used in cases where the aim is to control viscosity, but this material plays other roles in the final application besides increasing viscosity. In addition to thickening, adhesion and strengthening, the function of carboxymethyl cellulose is as a spreading agent, water retention agent, colloidal state maintenance agent, stabilizer, suspending agent, emulsifier and film forming agent. Due to its diverse properties, CMC is used in a wide range of industries.
Important physical parameters about CMC
1- Solubility
2- Viscosity in solution
3- Surface activity
4- Thermoplastic properties
5- Stability (against biological degradation, heat, hydrolysis and oxidation)
Technological reasons for using this material
1- Very small concentrations of it are required to achieve the desired properties.
2- Various grades can be produced with adapted properties for various uses.
3- It is tasteless, odorless and colorless.
4- It has greater resistance to microbes than unmodified natural products.
5- It has the ability to maintain properties under varying conditions.
6- It has high solubility even in cold water.
7- It is a thickening agent.
8- It has the ability to create stable suspensions.
9- It is an emulsifier.
10- It forms a protective layer.
11- It improves rheological properties.
12- It prevents the growth of crystals.
13- It prevents the coagulation of starch-containing products.