Methyl cellulose

Names
Other names

Cellulose, methyl ether; methylated cellulose; methylcellulose; E461

Identifiers

CAS Number

* 9004-67-5 Y

ChemSpider |

* none

PubChem CID

* Methylcellulose

UNII |

* 4GFU244C4J Y

Properties

Chemical formula

| variable
Molar mass | variable
Pharmacology
1=ATC code }}  | A06AC06 (WHO)

Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in their standard state (at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).

N verify (what is YN ?)
Infobox references

Methyl cellulose (or methylcellulose) is a compound derived from cellulose. It is sold under a variety of trade names and is used as a thickener and emulsifier in various food and cosmetic products, and also as a bulk-forming laxative. Like cellulose, it is not digestible, non-toxic, and not an allergen. In addition to culinary uses, it is used in arts and crafts such as papier-mâché and is often the main ingredient of wallpaper paste.

## Contents

* 1 Uses
* 1.1 Medical
* 1.1.1 Constipation
* 1.1.2 Artificial tears and saliva
* 1.1.3 Medication manufacturing
* 1.2 Consumer products
* 1.2.1 Thickener and emulsifier
* 1.2.2 Food
* 1.2.3 Lubricant
* 1.3 Construction materials
* 1.3.1 Glue and binder
* 1.3.2 Paint
* 1.3.3 Paper and textile sizing
* 1.4 Dust control
* 1.5 Cell culture
* 1.5.1 Bacterial and protozoal motility inhibitor
* 1.5.2 Stem cell differentiation
* 1.6 Chemistry
* 1.7 Conservation of artworks
* 1.8 Special effects
* 2 Chemistry
* 3 Solubility and temperature
* 4 See also
* 5 References
* 6 Further reading

## Uses

Methyl cellulose has a wide range of uses.

### Medical

#### Constipation

Methylcellulose is used to treat constipation and is classified as a bulk forming laxative.[1] It works by increasing the amount of stool present which improves intestinal contractions.[1][2] Effects generally occur within three days.[1] It is taken orally with sufficient water.[2] Side effects may include abdominal pain.[2]

It is available over the counter.[1] It is sold under the brand name Citrucel among others.[1]

#### Artificial tears and saliva

The lubricating property of methylcellulose is of particular benefit in the treatment of dry eyes.[3] Solutions containing methyl cellulose or similar cellulose derivatives are used as substitute for tears or saliva if the natural production of these fluids is disturbed.

#### Medication manufacturing

### Consumer products

#### Thickener and emulsifier

Methylcellulose is occasionally added to hair shampoos, tooth pastes and liquid soaps, to generate their characteristic thick consistency. This is also done for foods, for example ice cream[4] or croquette. Methylcellulose also prevents the separation of emulsions because it is an emulsion stabilizer.

#### Food

The E number of methylcellulose as food additive is E461. E464 is hydroxypropyl methylcellulose,[5] which is more soluble in water.[6]

Methylcellulose, as a gel, has the unique property of setting when hot and melting when cold.[7]

In some meat analogues that are intended to replicate the texture of meat, methylcellulose is used as an ingredient, typically in concentrations less than 2%.[8][9]

#### Lubricant

### Construction materials

Methyl cellulose finds a major application as a performance additive in construction materials.[10] It is added to mortar dry mixes to improve the mortar's properties such as workability, open and adjustment time, water retention, viscosity, adhesion to surfaces etc. Construction grade methyl cellulose is not to be identified with food and pharmaceutical grade methyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, as it may be cross-linked with glyoxal for easy dispersion in water.

Derivatives of methyl cellulose which improve performance characteristics include hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) and hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose (HEMC). These derivatives typically improve the characteristics such as water retention, vertical surface slip resistance, open time, etc.[11][12]

#### Glue and binder

Methyl cellulose is the main ingredient in many wallpaper pastes. It is also used as a binder in pastel crayons and also as a binder in medications. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) is an FDA-approved water-soluble adhesive, has been used in various wet-adhesion applications in construction products, paints, and drug delivery for 70 years. HPMC adheres strongly to all wet surfaces, regardless of hydrophobicity.[13]

#### Paint

#### Paper and textile sizing

### Dust control

Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) and hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose (HEMC) are used as binders in dust control technologies. They mitigate fugitive dust released in arid and semi-arid areas as well as improve commercial face masks when used in the filtering material.[14]

### Cell culture

Methyl cellulose is also used in cell culture to study viral replication. It is dissolved in the same nutrient-containing medium in which cells are normally grown. A single layer of cells is grown on a flat surface, then infected with a virus for a short time. The strength of the viral sample used will determine how many cells get infected during this time. The thick methyl cellulose medium is then added on top of the cells in place of normal liquid medium. As the viruses replicate in the infected cells, they are able to spread between cells whose membranes touch each other, but are trapped when they enter the methyl cellulose. Only cells closely neighboring an infected cell will become infected and die. This leaves small regions of dead cells called plaques in a larger background of living uninfected cells. The number of plaques formed is determined by the strength of the original sample.[15]

#### Bacterial and protozoal motility inhibitor

#### Stem cell differentiation

### Chemistry

### Conservation of artworks

Pure methyl cellulose is highly resistant to ageing and is therefore ideal for preserving art and cultural artefacts.[16][17] It can be used to stabilise powdered paint layers and to bond paint layers, frames, wood, textiles, etc. in liquid, foam[18] or mesh form. Not to be confused with hydroxypropyl cellulose (e.g. Klucel), which has lower ageing resistance and is much more plastic.

### Special effects

The slimy, gooey appearance of an appropriate preparation of methyl cellulose with water, in addition to its nontoxic, nonallergenic, and edible properties, makes it popular for use in special effects for motion pictures and television wherever vile slimes must be simulated. In the film Ghostbusters, the gooey substance the supernatural entities used to "slime" the Ghostbusters was mostly a thick water solution of methyl cellulose.[19] The Aliens ooze and drip a great deal of methyl cellulose—especially the queen.[20]

Methyl cellulose has been used to safely simulate molten materials, as well. In several of the Terminator films, it was back-lit with colored gels and films to reproduce the heated glow of iron in the large pouring ladles used to transport the metal from the smelting ovens to the various molds and forms. Methyl cellulose was also a stand-in for the lava flows in Los Angeles in Volcano and on the volcanic surface of Mustafar, in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.{{citation needed|date=October 2016}

## Chemistry

## Solubility and temperature

Methyl cellulose has a lower critical solution temperature (LCST) between 40 °C and 50 °C. At temperatures below the LCST, it is readily soluble in water; above the LCST, it is not soluble, which has a paradoxical effect that heating a saturated solution of methyl cellulose will turn it solid, because methyl cellulose will precipitate out. The temperature at which this occurs depends on DS-value, with higher DS-values giving lower solubility and lower precipitation temperatures because the polar hydroxyl groups are masked.[citation needed] Preparing a solution of methyl cellulose with cold water is difficult however: as the powder comes into contact with water, a gel layer forms around it, dramatically slowing the diffusion of water into the powder; hence, the inside remains dry. A better way is to first mix the powder with hot water, so that the methyl cellulose particles are well dispersed (and so have a much higher effective surface area) in the water, and cool down this dispersion while stirring, leading to the much more rapid dissolution of those particles.[21]

## See also

* Carboxymethyl cellulose
* Ethyl cellulose
* Ethyl methyl cellulose
* Hydroxypropyl cellulose
* Hydroxyethyl cellulose

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "DailyMed - methylcellulose powder, for solution". https://dailymed.nlm.nih.gov/dailymed/drugInfo.cfm?setid=9d5f2244-a610-4d45-b6e8-e79bb17a558f.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 British national formulary : BNF 76 (76 ed.). Pharmaceutical Press. 2018. pp. 54. ISBN 9780857113382.
3. ↑ Sandford-Smith, John (1995). Eye Diseases In Hot Climates. ELBS British Government.
4. ↑ Campo-Quintero, Valentina; Rojas-Gaitán, Juan José; Ramírez-Navas, Juan Sebastián (2022-05-08). "Efecto de la adición de carragenina, goma guar y metilcelulosa en los parámetros de calidad de un helado con licor". Ciencia & Tecnología Agropecuaria 23 (2). doi:10.21930/rcta.vol23_num2_art:2209. ISSN 2500-5308. https://revistacta.agrosavia.co/index.php/revista/article/view/2209.
5. ↑ "Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose". https://www.kimachemical.com/hydroxypropyl-methylcellulosehpmc.html.
6. ↑ Younes, Maged; Aggett, Peter; Aguilar, Fernando; Crebelli, Riccardo; Domenico, Alessandro Di; Dusemund, Birgit; Filipič, Metka; Frutos, Maria Jose et al. (2018). "Re-evaluation of celluloses E 460(i), E 460(ii), E 461, E 462, E 463, E 464, E 465, E 466, E 468 and E 469 as food additives". EFSA Journal 16 (1): e05047. doi:10.2903/j.efsa.2018.5047. PMID 32625652.
7. ↑ Blumenthal, Heston (19 November 2004). "The Appliance of Science (Melting Point)". The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2004/nov/20/foodanddrink.shopping3.
8. ↑ Erica, Chayes Wida (4 February 2020). "Do Impossible and Beyond Meat burgers really contain laxatives?" (in en). TODAY.com. https://www.today.com/food/do-impossible-beyond-meat-burgers-really-contain-laxatives-t173061.
9. ↑ "Ashland | benecel™ mx 100 methylcellulose". https://www.ashland.com/industries/food-and-beverage/plant-based-proteins/benecel-mx-100.
10. ↑ "Hydroxypropy Methy Cellulose". https://wotaichem.com/hpmc/.
11. ↑ "Hydroxyethyl Methyl Cellulose" (in en). https://www.jinjichemical.com/mhec/.
12. ↑ "Hydroxypropyl Methyl Cellulose(HPMC)". https://www.jinjichemical.com/hpmc/.
13. ↑ Lim, Chanoong; Song, Young Hoon; Song, Yoojung; Seo, Jeong Hyun; Hwang, Dong Soo; Lee, Dong Woog (2021). "Adaptive amphiphilic interaction mechanism of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose in water". Applied Surface Science 565. doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.150535. Bibcode: 2021ApSS..56550535L.
14. ↑ Lee, Taehee; Kim, Sangsik; Kim, Samuel; Kwon, Na-Yeon; Rho, Sangchul; Hwang, Dong Soo; Kim, Minkyu (2020). "Environmentally Friendly Methylcellulose-Based Binders for Active and Passive Dust Control". ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces 12 (45): 50860–50869. doi:10.1021/acsami.0c15249. PMID 33119259. Bibcode: 2020AAMI...1250860L.
15. ↑ Takumi-Tanimukai, Yuka (2022). "A hydroxypropyl methylcellulose plaque assay for human respiratory syncytial virus". Journal of Virological Methods 304. doi:10.1016/j.jviromet.2022.114528. PMID 35358640.
16. ↑ Soppa, Karolina; Zumbühl, Stefan (2023). "Stress-strain behavior of gelatin, sturgeon glue, and methylcellulose at fluctuating relative humidity". Working Towards a Sustainable Past. ICOM-CC 20th Triennial Conference Preprints, Valencia, 18–22 September 2023, ed. J. Bridgland.. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/375426458_Stress-strain_behavior_of_gelatin_sturgeon_glue_and_methylcellulose_at_fluctuating_relative_humidity.
17. ↑ Soppa, Karolina. "Die Klebung von Malschicht und textilem Bildträger. Untersuchung des Eindringverhaltens von Gelatinen sowie Störleim und Methylcellulose bei der Klebung von loser Malschicht auf isolierter und unisolierter Leinwand mittels vorhergehender Fluoreszenzmarkierung – Terminologie, Grundlagenanalyse und Optimierungsansätze". https://www.researchgate.net/publication/332158264_Die_Klebung_von_Malschicht_und_textilem_Bildtrager_Untersuchung_des_Eindringverhaltens_von_Gelatinen_sowie_Storleim_und_Methylcellulose_bei_der_Klebung_von_loser_Malschicht_auf_isolierter_und_unisolie.
18. ↑ Ritler, Magdalena; Krailing, Johanna; Kupper, Muriel; Soppa, Karolina (2024). "Using Methylcellulose Foam Produced by the Double-syringe Technique to Adhere Lifted, Stiff Paint Flakes". Zeitschrift für Kunsttechnologie und Konservierung 1: 171–180. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/385302881_Using_Methylcellulose_Foam_Produced_by_the_Double-syringe_Technique_to_Adhere_Lifted_Stiff_Paint_Flakes.
19. ↑ Aykroyd, Dan; Ramis, Harold; Reitman, Ivan (1985) (in en). Making Ghostbusters: The Screenplay. New York Zoetrope. pp. 81. ISBN 978-0-918432-68-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=_yUcAQAAIAAJ. "In reality , the gooey substance was derived from methylcellulose ether — a powdered thickening agent used in pharmaceuticals and food products0"
20. ↑ DeMichael, Tom (2014-09-01) (in en). Modern Sci-Fi Films FAQ: All That's Left to Know About Time-Travel, Alien, Robot, and Out-of-This-World Movies Since 1970. Hal Leonard Corporation. pp. 248. ISBN 978-1-4950-0957-0. https://books.google.com/books?id=h0YKBgAAQBAJ&pg=PT248. "If you've seen someone get slimed in Ghostbusters, or the drooling creature in one of the Alien films, you've seen methylcellulose in action."
21. ↑ Nasatto, Pauline; Pignon, Frédéric; Silveira, Joana; Duarte, Maria; Noseda, Miguel; Rinaudo, Marguerite (24 April 2015). "Methylcellulose, a Cellulose Derivative with Original Physical Properties and Extended Applications". Polymers 7 (5): 777–803. doi:10.3390/POLYM7050777.

## Further reading

* Cathleen Baker (1984). Methylcellulose & Sodium Carboxymethylcellulose: An Evaluation for Use in Paper Conservation through Accelerated Aging. Preprints of the Contributions to the Paris Congress, 2–8 September 1984: Adhesives and Consolidants, pp. 55–59. International Institute of Conservation.
* Robert L. Feller and Myron H. Wilt (1990) (free fulltext). Evaluation of Cellulose Ethers for Conservation. Getty Conservation Institute. http://www.getty.edu/publications/virtuallibrary/0892360992.html?imprint=gtcn&pg=3&res=20.
* Pijper A (March 1947). "Methylcellulose and Bacterial Motility". J. Bacteriol. 53 (3): 257–69. doi:10.1128/JB.53.3.257-269.1947. PMID 16561270.

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