Cellulose ethers are a family of water-soluble (or water-dispersible) derivatives of cellulose in which some of the cellulose hydroxyl groups (–OH) are chemically modified by etherification. They are widely used in pharmaceuticals, construction, food, paints, drilling fluids, cosmetics, and many industrial formulations because of their rheology-modifying, thickening, film-forming, water-retention, and binding properties.
