Liquid Detergent Thickeners - HPMC, MHEC & HEC | CHARING

Detergent

CHARING manufactures HPMC, RDP, and PCE for dry-mix mortar and concrete — supplying high quality products across Southeast Asia, the Middle East, South America and Africa for over a decade. We share what we know.

1. What the Thickener Must Do

In detergent and personal care, the cellulose ether is the thickener and stabiliser. It must:

Thicken the liquid so it pours correctly (not water-thin, not gel)

Be transparent — the consumer wants a clear or clean-looking product, not cloudy

Resist microbes — without anti-mold protection, the bottle rots in storage

Tolerate salt and surfactants — detergent formulations are hostile to many polymers

Stay stable — viscosity must not drop over time on the shelf

2. CHARING Detergent Grades

Grade	Type	Viscosity	Transparency	Transparency
DTP 200MS	HPMC, surface-treated	160,000–240,000 mPa·s (2%)	≥90% (1%)	Strong thickener, disperses in 30 sec
DTE 200MS	MHEC, surface-treated	160,000–240,000 mPa·s (2%)	≥90% (1%)	High substitution, excellent thickening
HEDT 100000	HEC, detergent-grade	80,000–120,000 cps (2%)	≥94% (1%)	Detergent-specialised HEC
HP 200MS	HPMC, surface-treated	~200,000 mPa·s	—	Economic alternative
MH 200MS	MHEC, surface-treated	~200,000 mPa·s	—	Heat-resistant alternative

Why "MS" Suffix Matters in Detergent

Surface-treated grades disperse in cold water within 30 seconds, forming a transparent solution without lumps. In a detergent factory, mixing time is short — undissolved lumps mean rejected batches.

Non-treated grades take 10+ minutes. Do not use them in detergent.

HEC for High-Clarity Detergent

For premium clear detergents — especially hand wash, shampoo, and other personal care — HEDT 100000 is the choice. Its 1% transparency ≥94% gives the crystal-clear appearance consumers expect.

3. By Application

Product	Recommended grade	Dosage
Liquid laundry detergent	DTP 200MS / HEDT 100000	0.3–0.8%
Dishwashing liquid	DTP 200MS	0.3–0.5%
Hand wash / body wash	HEDT 100000 (for clarity)	0.2–0.5%
Shampoo	HEDT 100000	0.5–1.0%
Toothpaste	HEC / MHEC (high viscosity)	0.5–1.5%
Hand sanitiser gel	DTE 200MS	0.5–1.0%

4. The Detergent Environment Is Hostile

Detergents contain surfactants, salts, and pH adjusters. Many polymers break down in this environment. HPMC, MHEC, and HEC survive because they are non-ionic — they do not react with anionic or cationic surfactants.

But three things still threaten them:

Microbial attack. Bacteria and fungi digest cellulose. Use anti-mold additive or specify a treated grade.

Salt. Sodium chloride and sodium sulfate push viscosity down. Test with your salt level before scaling up.

Shear. High-shear mixing breaks the polymer chains. Add the thickener last, at low shear.

5. Common Mistakes

1. Using non-treated grade. Lumps form, product is cloudy, batches rejected. Always use MS suffix in detergent.

2. Too high dosage. More thickener does not always help. Over 1.5% makes the liquid gel-like, hard to pour. Match dosage to the desired viscosity.

3. Wrong HEC grade for clarity. Industrial-grade HEC is cloudy. Detergent grade (HEDT 100000) has ≥94% transparency at 1%. The difference is visible to the consumer.

4. No anti-mold. Without it, the bottle rots in 2–3 months in tropical storage. CHARING detergent grades are designed for shelf stability, but adding a preservative belt-and-braces is wise.

For technical support, free samples, or help with your detergent formulation:

Shandong Charing Industry Co., Ltd.

Email: info@sdcharing.com

Website: www.sdcharing.com

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