Paint and Coating: Cellulose Ether Grades by Application

Paint

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. Three Paint Systems, Three Jobs

System	Substrate	What it needs
Stone paint (textured)	Exterior wall	Thicken + water resistance + texture hold
Latex paint (emulsion)	Interior wall	Thicken + flow + levelling
Industrial coating	Concrete, metal	Thicken + anti-sag + salt resistance

2. What the Cellulose Ether Does

In water-based paints, the cellulose ether is the rheology controller. It:

Thickens the liquid so it does not run off the brush or roller

Holds water so the paint film stays workable long enough to level

Stabilises the pigment and filler in suspension

Improves flow and levelling so the surface is smooth

For exterior use (stone paint), heat resistance and water resistance matter more. For interior (latex paint), flow and clarity matter more. For industrial, salt and alkali resistance matter.

3. CHARING Grades by Application

Stone paint (textured exterior)

Grade	Type	Viscosity (2%)	Why
MH 100MS	MHEC, surface-treated	~100,000 mPa·s	Heat resistance (75°C gel), flow + texture hold
HE 100000	HEC	80,000–120,000 cps	Thickener, water retention
HE 150000	HEC	~150,000 cps	Higher viscosity for thicker textures

Stone paint takes a beating — sun, rain, thermal cycling. MHEC's higher gel temperature (70–75°C) and HEC's water retention hold the texture on a hot wall.

Latex paint (interior wall)

Grade	Type	Viscosity (2%)	Why
MH 100MS	MHEC, surface-treated	~100,000 mPa·s	Surface-treated — disperses fast, no lumps
HE 30000	HEC	30,000 cps	Low viscosity, good flow
HE 50000	HEC	50,000 cps	Mid viscosity, balanced flow and thickening

Surface-treated grades (the "MS" suffix) are critical for paint. They disperse in cold water within 30 seconds without forming lumps ("fish eyes"). Without surface treatment, undissolved particles ruin the surface.

Industrial coating

Grade	Type	Viscosity	Why
HE 300	HEC	250–400 cps (1%)	Low viscosity, deep penetration on porous substrate
HE 100000	HEC	80,000–120,000 cps	Anti-sag on vertical surfaces

HEC is the workhorse here. It resists salt, alkali, and pH swings — important when the substrate is concrete (alkaline) or the coating faces chemical exposure.

4. Surface-Treated vs Non-Treated — the Critical Difference

Paint is mixed at the factory or on site, often in minutes. There is no time for undissolved lumps.

Surface-treated grades (the "MS" suffix): disperses in cold water within 30 seconds. Use these for paint.

Non-treated grades: take 10+ minutes to dissolve. Risky in paint — any undissolved lump becomes a surface defect.

For paint applications, always specify surface-treated. MH 100MS, MH 200MS, HP 200MS — all are surface-treated grades.

5. Common Mistakes

1. Using non-treated grade in paint. Lumps form, surface defects appear. Always use surface-treated (MS suffix) in paint.

2. Too high viscosity. High viscosity improves thickening but kills flow. Match viscosity to the application — HE 30000 for latex paint, HE 100000 for stone paint.

3. Wrong type for exterior. Standard HPMC gels at 55–60°C. On a sun-exposed dark facade in the Middle East, it loses thickening. Use MHEC (MH series) or HEC for exterior.

4. No anti-sag additive for vertical application. On a wall, a low-viscosity paint sags before setting. Add thickener (HE 100000+) or use the right viscosity grade.

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

Shandong Charing Industry Co., Ltd.

Email: info@sdcharing.com

Website: www.sdcharing.com

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