Methyl cellulose
 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification.(July 2009) |
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| Names | |
|---|---|
| Other names
Cellulose, methyl ether; methylated cellulose; methylcellulose; E461
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| Identifiers | |
| ChemSpider |
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| ECHA InfoCard | 100.115.188 |
| E number | E461(thickeners,...) |
| UNII | |
CompTox Dashboard(EPA)
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| Properties | |
| variable | |
| Molar mass | variable |
| Pharmacology | |
| A06AC06(WHO) | |
Except where otherwise noted, data are given for materials in theirstandard state(at 25 °C [77 °F], 100 kPa).
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Methyl cellulose(ormethylcellulose) is acompoundderived fromcellulose.It is sold under a variety of trade names and is used as a thickener andemulsifierin various food and cosmetic products, and also as a bulk-forminglaxative.Like cellulose, it is not digestible, non-toxic, and not anallergen.In addition to culinary uses, it is used in arts and crafts such aspapier-mâchéand is often the main ingredient of wallpaper paste.
In 2020, it was the 422nd most commonly prescribed medication in the United States, with more than 100,000prescriptions.[1]
Uses
[edit]Methyl cellulose has a wide range of uses.
Medical
[edit]Constipation
[edit]Methyl cellulose is used to treatconstipationand is classified as abulk forming laxative.[2]It works by increasing the amount of stool present which improves intestinal contractions.[2][3]Effects generally occur within three days.[2]It is taken orally with sufficient water.[3]Side effects may include abdominal pain.[3]
It is availableover the counter.[2]It is sold under the brand name Citrucel among others.[2]
Artificial tears and saliva
[edit]The lubricating property of methylcellulose is of particular benefit in the treatment ofdry eyes.[4]Solutions containing methyl cellulose or similar cellulose derivatives are used as substitute fortearsorsalivaif the natural production of these fluids is disturbed.[citation needed]
Medication manufacturing
[edit]Methyl cellulose is used in the manufacture of drugcapsules;its edible and nontoxic properties provide a vegetarian alternative to the use ofgelatin.[citation needed]
Consumer products
[edit]Thickener and emulsifier
[edit]Methyl cellulose is occasionally added tohair shampoos,tooth pastesand liquid soaps, to generate their characteristic thick consistency. This is also done for foods, for exampleice cream[5]orcroquette.Methyl cellulose is also an importantemulsifier,preventing the separation of two mixed liquids because it is an emulsionstabilizer.[citation needed]
Food
[edit]TheE numberof methyl cellulose as food additive is E461. E464 is hydroxypropyl methylcellulose[6]and more soluble in water.[7]
Methyl cellulose, as agel,has the unique property of setting when hot andmeltingwhen cold.[8]
In somemeat analoguesthat are intended to replicate the texture of meat, methyl cellulose is used as an ingredient, typically in concentrations less than 2%.[9][10]
Lubricant
[edit]Methyl cellulose may be used inpersonal lubricant.[citation needed]
Construction materials
[edit]Methyl cellulose finds a major application as a performance additive in construction materials. It is added tomortardry 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 andhydroxypropyl methyl cellulose,as it may be cross-linked withglyoxalfor easy dispersion in water.[citation needed]
The construction materials can be cement-based or gypsum-based. Notable examples of dry mixture mortars which utilize methyl cellulose include tile adhesives, EIFS, insulating plasters, hand-trowelled and machine-sprayed plaster, stucco, self-leveling flooring, extruded cement panels, skim coats, joint & crack fillers, and tile grouts. Typical usage is about 0.2% – 0.5% of total dry powder weight for dry mixtures.[citation needed]
Derivatives of methyl cellulose which improve performance characteristics includehydroxypropyl methyl cellulose(HPMC) andhydroxyethyl methyl cellulose(HEMC). These derivatives typically improve the characteristics such as water retention, vertical surface slip resistance, open time, etc.[citation needed]
Glue and binder
[edit]Methyl cellulose can be employed as a mildgluewhich can be washed away with water. This may be used in the fixing of delicate pieces of art as well as in book conservation to loosen and clean off old glue from spines and bookboards.[citation needed]
Methyl cellulose is the main ingredient in manywallpaper pastes.It is also used as a binder inpastel crayonsand also as abinderin 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.[11]
Paint
[edit]Methyl cellulose is used as arheologicalmodifier in paint to prevent 'sagging'.[citation needed]
Paper and textile sizing
[edit]Methyl cellulose is used assizingin the production of papers and textiles as it protects the fibers from absorbing water or oil. When applied to several pieces of paper, methyl cellulose will bind the layers together, often to create a more durable or multicolored sheet. In addition,origamiartists use it to coat their origami models, as the compound will stiffen and protect the paper against time.[citation needed]
Dust control
[edit]Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose(HPMC) andhydroxyethyl methyl cellulose(HEMC) are used as binders in dust control technologies. They mitigatefugitive dustreleased in arid and semi-arid areas as well as improve commercial face masks when used in the filtering material.[12]
Cell culture
[edit]Methyl cellulose is also used incell cultureto studyviralreplication. It is dissolved in the same nutrient-containingmediumin which cells are normally grown. Asingle layer of cellsis 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 calledplaquesin a larger background of living uninfected cells. The number of plaques formed is determined by the strength of the original sample.[citation needed]
Bacterial and protozoal motility inhibitor
[edit]Aqueous methyl cellulose solutions have been used to slow bacterial and protozoal cell motility for closer inspection. Changing the amount of methyl cellulose in solution permits the adjustment of the solution's viscosity.[citation needed]
Stem cell differentiation
[edit]Methyl cellulose is used in the most common approaches to quantify multiple or single lineage-committed hematopoietic progenitors, called colony-forming cells (CFCs) or colony-forming units (CFUs), in combination with culture supplements that promote their proliferation and differentiation, and allow the clonal progeny of a single progenitor cell to stay together and thus form a colony of more mature cells.[citation needed]
Chemistry
[edit]It is ahydrophilicwhite powder in pure form and dissolves in cold (but not in hot) water, forming a clear viscous solution or gel.[citation needed]
Methyl cellulose is used as a buffer additive incapillary electrophoresisto controlelectroosmotic flowfor improved separations.[citation needed]
Special effects
[edit]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 formotion picturesandtelevisionwherever vile slimes must be simulated. In the filmGhostbusters,the gooey substance the supernatural entities used to "slime" the Ghostbusters was mostly a thick water solution of methyl cellulose.[13]TheAliensooze and drip a great deal of methyl cellulose—especially the queen.[14]
Methyl cellulose has been used to safely simulate molten materials, as well. In several of theTerminatorfilms, it wasback-litwith 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.[citation needed]Methyl cellulose was also a stand-in for the lava flows inLos AngelesinVolcanoand on the volcanic surface ofMustafar,inStar Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith.[citation needed]
Chemistry
[edit]Methyl cellulose does not occur naturally and is synthetically produced by heating cellulose with caustic solution (e.g. a solution ofsodium hydroxide) and treating it withmethyl chloride.In the substitution reaction that follows, thehydroxylresidues (-OH functional groups) are replaced bymethoxide(-OCH3groups).[citation needed]
Different kinds of methyl cellulose can be prepared depending on the number of hydroxyl groups substituted. Cellulose is apolymerconsisting of numerous linkedglucosemolecules, each of which exposes three hydroxyl groups. TheDegree of Substitution(DS) of a given form of methyl cellulose is defined as the average number of substituted hydroxyl groups per glucose. The theoretical maximum is thus a DS of 3.0, however more typical values are 1.3–2.6.[citation needed]
Different methyl cellulose preparations can also differ in the average length of their polymer backbones.[citation needed]
Solubility and temperature
[edit]Methyl cellulose has alower critical solution temperature(LCST) between 40 °C and 50 °C.[citation needed]At temperatures below the LCST, it is readilysolublein 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 willprecipitateout. The temperature at which this occurs depends on DS-value, with higher DS-values giving lower solubility and lower precipitation temperatures because thepolarhydroxyl 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.[15]
See also
[edit]- Carboxymethyl cellulose
- Ethyl cellulose
- Ethyl methyl cellulose
- Hydroxypropyl cellulose
- Hydroxyethyl cellulose
References
[edit]- ^"Methylcellulose - Drug Usage Statistics".ClinCalc.Retrieved7 October2022.
- ^abcde"DailyMed - methylcellulose powder, for solution".dailymed.nlm.nih.gov.Retrieved19 April2019.
- ^abcBritish national formulary: BNF 76(76 ed.). Pharmaceutical Press. 2018. p. 54.ISBN9780857113382.
- ^Sandford-Smith, John (1995).Eye Diseases In Hot Climates.ELBS British Government.
- ^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.ISSN2500-5308.S2CID248686988.
- ^"Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose".www.kimachemical.com.Retrieved28 February2023.
- ^Younes, Maged; Aggett, Peter; Aguilar, Fernando; Crebelli, Riccardo; Domenico, Alessandro Di; Dusemund, Birgit; Filipič, Metka; Frutos, Maria Jose; Galtier, Pierre; Gott, David; Gundert-Remy, Ursula; Kuhnle, Gunter Georg; Lambré, Claude; Leblanc, Jean-Charles; Lillegaard, Inger Therese; Moldeus, Peter; Mortensen, Alicja; Oskarsson, Agneta; Stankovic, Ivan; Tobback, Paul; Waalkens-Berendsen, Ine; Wright, Matthew; Tard, Alexandra; Tasiopoulou, Stavroula; Woutersen, Rudolf Antonius (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.PMC7009359.PMID32625652.S2CID80411182.
- ^Blumenthal, Heston (19 November 2004)."The Appliance of Science (Melting Point)".The Guardian.Retrieved8 August2012.
- ^Erica, Chayes Wida (4 February 2020)."Do Impossible and Beyond Meat burgers really contain laxatives?".TODAY.com.Retrieved2 September2020.
- ^"Ashland | benecel™ mx 100 methylcellulose".www.ashland.com.Retrieved2023-06-27.
- ^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.565:150535.Bibcode:2021ApSS..56550535L.doi:10.1016/j.apsusc.2021.150535.
- ^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.PMID33119259.S2CID226206558.
- ^Aykroyd, Dan; Ramis, Harold; Reitman, Ivan (1985).Making Ghostbusters: The Screenplay.New York Zoetrope. p. 81.ISBN978-0-918432-68-1.
In reality, the gooey substance was derived from methylcellulose ether — a powdered thickening agent used in pharmaceuticals and food products0
- ^DeMichael, Tom (2014-09-01).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. p. 248.ISBN978-1-4950-0957-0.
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.
- ^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
[edit]- 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).Evaluation of Cellulose Ethers for Conservation(free fulltext).Getty Conservation Institute.
- Pijper A (March 1947)."Methylcellulose and Bacterial Motility".J. Bacteriol.53(3): 257–69.doi:10.1128/JB.53.3.257-269.1947.PMC518306.PMID16561270.