Many people can’t tell the difference between hydroxyethyl cellulose and ethyl cellulose. Hydroxyethyl cellulose and ethyl cellulose are two different substances. They have the following characteristics.

1
Hydroxyethyl cellulose:
As a non-ionic surfactant, in addition to thickening, suspending, binding, flotation, film-forming, dispersing, retaining water and providing protective colloids, it also has the following properties:
1. HEC is soluble in hot or cold water, and does not precipitate at high temperature or boiling, making it have a wide range of solubility and viscosity characteristics, and non-thermal gelation;
2. It is non-ionic and can coexist with a wide range of other water-soluble polymers, surfactants and salts, and is an excellent colloidal thickener containing high-concentration electrolyte solutions;
3. The water retention capacity is twice as high as that of methyl cellulose, and it has better flow regulation.
4. Compared with the recognized methyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose, the dispersing ability of HEC is the worst, but the protective colloid has the strongest ability.

2
Ethyl cellulose
It is a non-ionic cellulose ether that is insoluble in water but soluble in organic solvents. It has the following characteristics:

1. Not easy to burn.
2. Good thermal stability and excellent thermoplasticity.
3. No discoloration to sunlight.
4. Good flexibility.
5. Good dielectric properties.
6. It has excellent alkali resistance and weak acid resistance.
7. Good anti-aging performance.
8. Good resistance to salt, cold and moisture absorption.
9. Stable to chemicals, long-term storage without deterioration.
10. Compatible with many resins and good compatibility with all plasticizers.
11. It is easy to change color under strong alkaline environment and heat conditions.