Ethyl cellulose (or ethylcellulose) is a derivative of cellulose in which some of the

hydroxyl group In chemistry, a hydroxy or hydroxyl group is a functional group with the chemical formula and composed of one oxygen atom covalently bonded to one hydrogen atom. In organic chemistry, alcohols and carboxylic acids contain one or more hydroxy g ...

s on the repeating glucose units are converted into

ethyl Ethyl may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Cold Ethyl, a Swedish rock band *Ethyl Sinclair, a character in the ''Dinosaurs'' television show Science and technology * Ethyl group, an organic chemistry moiety * Ethyl alcohol (or ethanol) * E ...

ether groups. The number of ethyl groups can vary depending on the manufacturer. It is mainly used as a thin-film coating material for coating paper, vitamin and medical pills, and for thickeners in cosmetics and in industrial processes. Food grade ethyl cellulose is one of few non-toxic films and thickeners which are not water soluble. This property allows it to be used to safeguard ingredients from water. Ethyl cellulose is also used as a food additive as an

emulsifier An emulsion is a mixture of two or more liquids that are normally immiscible (unmixable or unblendable) owing to liquid-liquid phase separation. Emulsions are part of a more general class of two-phase systems of matter called colloids. Altho ...

(E462).

References

Cellulose Food additives Excipients Cellulose ethers E-number additives {{polymer-stub

See also

References