Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose, often abbreviated to HPMC or also called hypromellose, is a chemical compound widely used as an aid in pharmaceutical and food products. HPMC is a type of cellulose ether, a derivative of natural cellulose, which is extracted from plant sources such as wood pulp or cotton fibers. This compound is specifically valued for its ability to serve as a thickener, stabilizer, emulsifier and film former. It has many functions.
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- 1. Increasing Demand from Pharmaceutical Industry HPMC is widely used as a thickening agent, stabilizer, and sustained release agent in the pharmaceutical industry. The growing demand for prescription drugs and the increasing awareness of the benefits of sustained-release formulations are expected to drive the demand for HPMC in the pharmaceutical industry.






PH: both HPMC and HEC are stable to common acids and alkalis. Alkali can speed up its dissolution and slightly increase its viscosity. HPMC solution is stable in the range of ph = 2-12. caustic soda and lime water can not affect HPMC properties. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose is stable to common salts. But when the concentration of salt solution is high, the viscosity of HPMC solution tends to increase.
Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (E 464) is identified with the single Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number 9004-65-3, and the European Inventory of Existing Chemical Substances (EINECS) number 232-674-9. It is manufactured reacting partially depolymerised cellulose with methyl groups and containing a small degree of hydroxypropyl substitution (Figure 11). Since cellulose is a high molecular weight linear polysaccharide of indeterminate mass and its degree of substitution will depend on the conditions of manufacture, a unique mass and structure cannot be specified. HPMC is in the form of white to off-white powder. A generalised structure of HPMC is shown in Figure 11
Interactions with other ingredients: