Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose with delayed solubility — the workhorse water-retention agent for cement and gypsum systems.
- Viscosity
- Multiple grades · see grade table
- Ionicity
- Non-ionic
- CAS
- 9004-65-3
- Tile adhesive
- Wall putty
- Gypsum plaster
Cellulose ether for construction
HPMC and Cellulose Ether for Dry-Mix Mortar, Putty and Tile Adhesive
Water retention, anti-sag and open time for tile adhesive, wall putty, gypsum plaster and waterproof mortar producers in 30+ countries — with export documents ready for your market.
- 60,000
- t/yr production capacity
- 30+
- export countries
- ≥99.5%
- batch pass rate
- 1
- metric ton minimum order, per grade
- 5–15
- days from order confirmation to dispatch
- 12
- working hours to a reply
Product range
13 product lines, one supply chain
Every line has its own page — CAS number, HS code, pack sizes and typical applications. Tell us the application and we come back with a grade and a starting dosage.
Methyl cellulose ether with a higher thermal gel temperature — for hot climates and gypsum systems.
- CAS
- 9032-42-2
- HS code
- 3912.39
- Pack sizes
- 25 kg · 12.5 kg · 6.25 kg · 1,000 kg jumbo bag
- Tile adhesive
- Gypsum plaster
- Cement mortar
Same chemistry as HEMC — the name most buyers in Asia and South America use for it.
- CAS
- 9032-42-2
- HS code
- 3912.39
- Pack sizes
- 25 kg · 12.5 kg · 6.25 kg · 1,000 kg jumbo bag
- Tile adhesive
- Cement mortar
- Gypsum plaster
Non-ionic thickener for water-based paints and cement systems — dissolves without surface treatment.
- CAS
- 9004-62-0
- HS code
- 3912.39
- Pack sizes
- 25 kg · 12.5 kg · 6.25 kg · 1,000 kg jumbo bag
- Water-based paint
- Cement mortar
- Wall putty
VAE-based redispersible powder that adds flexibility, adhesion and cohesion to cementitious mixes.
- CAS
- Mixture (VAE copolymer) — no single CAS
- HS code
- 3905.29
- Pack sizes
- 25 kg · 12.5 kg · 6.25 kg · 1,000 kg jumbo bag
- Tile adhesive (C2)
- Skim coat / wall putty
- EIFS adhesive
High-range water reducer in powder form for mortar and concrete with low water-cement ratios.
- CAS
- Mixture (polycarboxylate ether) — no single CAS
- HS code
- 3824.40
- Pack sizes
- 25 kg · 12.5 kg · 6.25 kg · 1,000 kg jumbo bag
- Self-leveling compound
- High-strength mortar
- Concrete
Set accelerator for dry-mix mortars — reliable early strength in cold weather and gypsum systems.
- CAS
- 544-17-2
- HS code
- 2915.12
- Pack sizes
- 25 kg · 12.5 kg · 6.25 kg · 1,000 kg jumbo bag
- Tile adhesive
- Gypsum plaster
- Screed
Controls the setting time of gypsum plasters and anhydrite screeds without cutting final strength.
- CAS
- Mixture — no single CAS
- HS code
- 3824.99
- Pack sizes
- 25 kg · 12.5 kg · 6.25 kg · 1,000 kg jumbo bag
- Gypsum plaster
- Joint compound
- Anhydrite screed
Water-repellent additive in powder form — capillary absorption down without touching workability.
- CAS
- Mixture (silicone-based) — no single CAS
- HS code
- 3824.40
- Pack sizes
- 25 kg · 12.5 kg · 6.25 kg · 1,000 kg jumbo bag
- Waterproof render
- Tile adhesive
- Screed
Micro-reinforcement fiber that controls plastic shrinkage cracking in renders, screeds and mortars.
- CAS
- 9003-07-0
- HS code
- 5503.40
- Pack sizes
- 20 kg
- Render / plaster
- Screed
- Shotcrete
Sag resistance and trowel feel in tile adhesive and putty — it carries workability so part of the high-viscosity ether can come out.
- CAS
- 9049-76-7
- HS code
- 3505.10
- Pack sizes
- 25 kg · 1,000 kg jumbo bag
- Tile adhesive (C1TE / C2TES1)
- Flexible putty
- Gypsum plaster
Binder for wall putty and primer coats — raises cohesion and adhesion, and keeps the cured surface easy to sand.
- CAS
- 9002-89-5
- HS code
- 3905.30
- Pack sizes
- 25 kg · 1,000 kg jumbo bag
- Interior wall putty
- Stone-paint primer
- Gypsum products
Takes entrained air out of self-levelling compound, grout and repair mortar — no pinholes left in the finished surface.
- CAS
- Mixture — no single CAS
- HS code
- 3824.99
- Pack sizes
- 20 kg
- Cement-based self-levelling compound
- C50 grout
- Road repair mortar
Applications
Find the additive for your production line
13 applications across dry-mix mortar, paints and detergents. Tell us your system and we will confirm the grade and the starting dosage.
Tile Adhesive
Water retention and anti-sag for C1 / C2 / C2TE classified adhesives.
Wall Putty
Smooth trowelling, crack resistance and open time for skim coats.
Gypsum Plaster
Controls setting time and water demand in machine-applied plasters.
Coming soon
Self-leveling
Flow control and anti-segregation for floor compounds.
Coming soon
EIFS / ETICS
Adhesion and flexibility in external insulation systems.
Coming soon
Masonry Mortar
Workability and water retention in rendering and brick mortars.
Coming soon
Cement Render
Water retention and open time in hand- and machine-applied render.
Coming soon
Tile Grout
Water retention and smooth tooling in cementitious tile grout.
Coming soon
Why ALCellu
Six things procurement can verify before the first order
Nothing below is a slogan. Each of the six points is something you can check with us before the first order — on a retained sample, on a document, or on a call.
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Batch-to-batch consistency
Batch viscosity is held to −10% / +20% of the nominal value — a grade nominal at 100,000 mPa·s measures between 90,000 and 120,000 mPa·s, the spread coming from the test method, the conditions and the instrument. Every batch is re-measured on a Brookfield viscometer at 2% in water and 20 °C — the condition printed in the TDS — and the COA is written from that measurement.
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Cellulosic expertise
Making cellulose ether since 2012. Technical questions go to Jack Liu, Technical Manager — 8 years in cellulose ether and construction chemical additives.
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Application & formulation support
Support runs from grade choice to the first production run: we read your mix design, propose a starting grade and dosage band, and review compatibility against the additives already in the formula.
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Flexible MOQ & mixed container
1 metric ton per grade is the minimum order. Mixed-container combinations with other grades: available on request.
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Export documents ready
A TDS, an SDS, the batch COA and a Certificate of Origin go out with every shipment. Ask your sales contact and we send the current revision by email.
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Reply within 12 working hours
Every enquiry is answered inside that window. Technical questions are routed to the engineer who handles your product line, not to a shared inbox.
Consistency
Batch-to-batch variation is the real purchase risk
Viscosity is the parameter that decides how the mortar behaves on site. When it drifts, water retention drifts with it: the mix opens later or dries too fast, sag resistance on vertical work changes, and a formulation that passed in the lab starts cracking or slipping in the plant. Nobody sees it in a bag — only in the finished mix.
So control starts upstream. Incoming cellulose pulp is checked before it enters etherification, the reaction is run to a target substitution, and the batch is re-measured on a Brookfield viscometer at 2% in water and 20 °C before it is released. A retained sample from every batch stays on file against its COA, so if a container behaves differently we can trace it back to the run that made it.
Batch COA issued with every shipment
Testing equipment on every batch
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Brookfield viscometer
Viscosity at 2% in water, 20 °C, 20 rpm — the same condition printed in the TDS.
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Halogen moisture analyser
Moisture is the parameter that drifts first in hot and humid climates.
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Muffle furnace
Ash content indicates residual salts from the etherification route.
Formulation support
ALCellu Formulate™
Four steps between your current mix design and a running production line — the same sequence whether you are reformulating an existing product or starting from a new one.
1
Grade selection
We start from your binder system, sand source and target classification — C1 or C2 for tile adhesive, the retention your putty needs — and narrow the choice to the viscosity band that fits.
2
Dosage optimisation
We test downward from your current dosage against your own sand and water demand, because the useful answer is the lowest dose that still holds open time and anti-sag in your mix.
3
Compatibility testing
HPMC does not work alone in a dry mix. We check the grade against your RDP, starch ether, calcium formate and retarder: starch ether shifts sag and workability, while the set regulator moves open time and initial set.
4
On-site troubleshooting
When cracking, sagging or delayed setting shows up on the line, we work back through water demand, dosage and mixing sequence with your production team to isolate the variable that changed.
Supply & delivery
Packaging, payment and paperwork
What arrives, how it is packed, and what comes with it. Lead time from order confirmation is 5–15 days.
Packaging
25 kg · 12.5 kg · 6.25 kg · 1,000 kg jumbo bag — custom printing, artwork free
Minimum order
1 metric ton per grade
Payment terms
T/T / L/C / Alipay / VISA
Shipping documents
TDS, SDS, batch COA and Certificate of Origin with every shipment
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
What is the minimum order quantity for HPMC?
MOQ is set per grade and per packaging format, and mixed containers are possible for trial orders. Send the grade, the packing you prefer and your destination port, and we confirm MOQ together with the packing list in the same reply.
Can I get a free sample before ordering?
Yes. A free sample is available for evaluation, and it ships from stock rather than from a production run, so it reflects the grade you will actually receive. Tell us the application and the reference dosage so the sample can be checked against your current material.
What is the standard lead time?
Lead time depends on the grade and on whether the packing is standard or custom-printed. Standard grades ship from stock; custom packing is scheduled against the production plan. Your quotation states the lead time for the exact quantity and packing quoted.
Can we switch from our current HPMC supplier without reformulating?
Usually the substitution is direct when viscosity, substitution degree and dissolution behaviour match. Batch-to-batch variation is the practical risk, so a side-by-side trial at your existing dosage is the normal route before a full container order.
Can viscosity or substitution degree be customised?
Viscosity is available in defined bands rather than as a continuous free parameter, and substitution degree is fixed by the production route. Send the target value and the volume you expect, and we confirm which band can be produced and at what MOQ.
Which payment terms do you accept?
Terms are agreed per order and depend on the destination and on whether the relationship is new. The quotation states the accepted terms explicitly, so there is no separate negotiation step after the price is agreed.
What is your batch-to-batch viscosity tolerance?
The tolerance is −10% / +20% of the nominal viscosity. A grade nominal at 100,000 mPa·s measures between 90,000 and 120,000 mPa·s from batch to batch: the spread reflects the test method, the test conditions and the instrument, which is why the TDS and the batch COA state the measurement condition together with the value.
Get a 200 g free sample — shipped from stock
Tell us the application and the reference dosage, and we send a sample that matches the grade you would actually order. Reply within 12 working hours.