Ethyl cellulose (or ethylcellulose) is a derivative of
cellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of β(1→4) linked D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important structural component of the primary cell w ...
in which some of the
hydroxyl groups on the repeating
glucose
Glucose is a simple sugar with the molecular formula . Glucose is overall the most abundant monosaccharide, a subcategory of carbohydrates. Glucose is mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide, using ...
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
In organic chemistry, ethers are a class of compounds that contain an ether group—an oxygen atom connected to two alkyl or aryl groups. They have the general formula , where R and R′ represent the alkyl or aryl groups. Ethers can again be c ...
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 (E462).
See also
*
Ethyl methyl cellulose
*
Methyl cellulose
Methyl cellulose (or methylcellulose) is a compound derived from cellulose. It is sold under a variety of trade names and is used as a thickener and emulsifier in various food and cosmetic products, and also as a bulk-forming laxative. Like cellu ...
References
Cellulose
Food additives
Excipients
Cellulose ethers
E-number additives
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