Factors affecting water retention of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) products

The water retention of hydroxypropyl methylcellulose HPMC product itself is often affected by the following factors:
1. Uniformity of cellulose ether HPMC
Evenly reacted HPMC, methoxyl and hydroxypropoxyl are evenly distributed, and the water retention rate is high.
2. Thermal gelation temperature of cellulose ether HPMC
The higher the thermal gel temperature, the higher the water retention rate; otherwise, the lower the water retention rate.
3. Cellulose ether HPMC viscosity
When the viscosity of HPMC increases, the water retention rate also increases; when the viscosity reaches a certain level, the increase in water retention rate tends to be gentle.
4. The amount of cellulose ether HPMC added
The greater the amount of cellulose ether HPMC added, the higher the water retention rate and the better the water retention effect. Within the range of 0.25-0.6% addition, the water retention rate increases rapidly with the increase in the addition amount; when the addition amount further increases, the increase trend in the water retention rate slows down.