Hydroxyethylcellulosepoeder in textieldruk

7 augustus 2025
5:50 AM

I.What is Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Powder

Hydroxyethyl cellulose(HEC) , is a non-ionic cellulose ether. It readily disperses and dissolves in water to produce high viscosity solutions.HEC is used as a viscosity and rheology modifier, protective colloid, water retention agent, stabilizer, and suspending agent, especially in those applications where nonionic materials are required. The product has a higher and more homogeneous degree of substitution, which improves enzyme resistance. Hydroxyethyl cellulose plays a very important role in the bedrukken en verven van textiel industry, especially in the field of printing, which is one of its core applications.

Hydroxyethyl cellulose (HEC) in textile printing and dyeing formula share:

Application Scenarios	HEC Share (wt%)	Auxiliary Ingredients	Role Description
Reactive dyes printing paste	0.5%-2.0%	Urea (5%-10%), sodium bicarbonate (1%-3%)	Provides viscosity, prevents migration of dyestuffs, and improve the color yield.
Paint printing paste	0.3%-1.5%	Binder (20%-30%), crosslinking agent (1%-2%)	Thickening and stabilizing the dispersion of pigment, improving the feel.
Disperse dye printing	1.0%-2.5%	Dispersing agent (1%-2%), pH adjusting agent	Suitable for polyester printing, good stability under high temperature.
Sizing agent	0.2%-1.0%	PVA (3%-5%), wax emulsion (1%-2%)	Increase yarn strength, reduce weaving breakage.
Coating finishing	0.5%-1.5%	Acrylic resin (10%-20%), softener	Forms uniform film, improves fabric functionality.

II.Main uses of Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Powder in the Textile Printing Industry

1.Thickening

HEC is a key ingredient in the preparation of aqueous printing pastes. Its main function is to thicken the printing color paste to a viscosity (usually in the range of a few tens of thousands of centipoise) suitable for printing machine operation.

2.Rheology Control

HEC solutions have pseudoplastic rheological properties (shear thinning). This means that in storage and under high shear (e.g. stirring, pumping), the viscosity is low, making it easy to handle and transport.

At low shear (e.g. when the squeegee passes over the printing screen and rests on the fabric), the viscosity quickly returns to an elevated level. This can effectively prevent the color paste from seepage, to ensure that the printing pattern is clear, fine lines, and does not produce “seepage” or “melt away” phenomenon.

3.Water Retention

HEC is extremely hydrophilic and water retentive. It effectively locks the water in the printing paste, preventing it from migrating too quickly into the fibers or to the edges. This is the key to achieving clear patterns, vividness and high fineness.

4.Suspension Stability

It helps to evenly suspend dyes, pigment particles and other insoluble components (such as fillers, auxiliaries, etc.) in the printing paste to prevent precipitation and ensure the uniformity and stability of the printing paste.

III.Applicable Dyes and Processes for Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Powder

1.Reactive Dye Printing

HEC is one of the most commonly used and effective thickeners in reactive dye printing paste (often compounded with other thickeners such as sodium alginate). It has a low affinity for reactive dyes, the dyes are easy to transfer from the paste to the fiber, and easy to wash away after treatment, without affecting the feel of the fabric and the whiteness of the white background.

2.Disperse Dye Printing

In the transfer printing paste of polyester and other synthetic fibers, HEC is used as a thickener and carrier, which helps to disperse the dyes uniformly and sublimate them effectively during heat transfer.

3.Coatings Printing

While synthetic thickeners, such as polyacrylics, are more commonly used in coatings printing, HEC can be used in some coatings printing formulations, especially when a softer feel is desired or when compounding with other systems.

IV. Advantages of Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Powder

1.High Color Yield

Low affinity for dyestuffs (especially reactive dyestuffs), full transfer of dyestuffs.

2.Easy to Wash Off

Less residue after washing, soft fabric feel, less staining on white background.

3.Good Compatibility

As a non-ionic polymer, it is compatible with most ionic dyestuffs and auxiliaries, and is not easily affected by the concentration of electrolyte (salt) in the system, with good stability.

4.Film Forming

The paste film formed is effective in fixing dyes/pigments during drying.

5.Natural/Renewable

HEC is derived from cellulose, making it more sustainable than fully synthetic thickeners.

V. 6 Drivers of Hydroxyethyl Cellulose Powder Prices

1.Raw material costs

Cotton short staple/wood pulp: 60% of production costs, directly affected by the volatility of agriculture and pulp futures .

Ethylene oxide: crude oil → ethylene → ethylene oxide conduction chain, geopolitical conflicts push up 25%.

2.Technical Parameters

High viscosity (>10,000 mPa-s) is 35% more expensive than low viscosity due to the high demand for screen printing and high energy consumption for production.

Degree of substitution (DS): DS=2.0-2.5 is the best performance, but the process control is difficult, low yield rate increases the cost by 20%.

3.Green Barrier

EU REACH/ECOSAR certification increases costs by 30%, chlorine-free process requirements make environmentally friendly HEC premium 15%.

4.Production capacity and regional game

Imported brands monopolize the high-end market, strong pricing power; domestic price war to pull down the mid-range market.

Logistics cost in Southwest China is higher than East China.

5.Process iteration

Outbreak of digital printing to promote low viscosity migration-resistant HEC demand increased by 22%, a premium of 40%; traditional medium viscosity HEC due to overcapacity fell 5% annually.

6.Competition of substitutes

Sodium alginate cost 30% lower, but poor electrolyte resistance; polyacrylate 20% cheaper, but affects the fabric feel.

VI. Purchasing Suggestions for Textile Printing and Dyeing Enterprises

Cost-Effective Solutions

Regular Printing: Choose domestic medium viscosity HEC + compounded sodium alginate (reduce cost by 10%-15%).

Export order: suggest imported HEC or domestic high-end model.

Cost Reduction Tips

Sign annual framework agreements with suppliers to lock in the risk of price fluctuations. Focus on renewable cellulose derivatives (such as carboxymethyl cellulose CMC), part of the process can replace HEC (cost reduction of 20%).

Quality Verification Indicators

Mandatory items:

1% solution viscosity (25℃)

Transmittance (reflecting impurity content)

Degree of substitution (DS=1.8-2.5 is good)

VII. Conclusie

In textile printing and dyeing, the most important application of hydroxyethyl cellulose powder is as a high-performance printing paste thickener, especially for reactive dye printing that requires fine patterns, clear outlines and bright colors. Its excellent pseudoplastic rheology, strong water retention capacity, low dye affinity, good compatibility and easy wash-off make it an indispensable key material in the production of high-quality prints.