Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose (HPMC) is a nonionic cellulose ether made by chemical modification of natural polymer cellulose. It has multiple functions such as thickening, water retention, film formation, lubrication, and bonding, and is widely used in building materials, coatings, food, and pharmaceuticals.

(1) Basic characteristics of HPMC

1. Thickening property
HPMC can dissolve rapidly in water to form a high-viscosity colloidal solution. Its thickening performance can be controlled by adjusting its degree of substitution and molecular weight. Thickening performance is one of the important indicators of tile adhesives and can improve their coating and operating performance.

2. Water retention
HPMC has excellent water retention and can effectively prevent water from being lost too quickly, thereby extending the open time and adjustment time of tile adhesives. This is especially important for construction in a high-temperature and dry environment.

3. Film formation
HPMC can form a transparent and tough film after drying, which helps to improve the anti-sagging and water resistance of tile adhesives.

4. Adhesion
HPMC has good adhesion properties and can improve the adhesion of tile adhesives to tiles and substrates, ensuring that tiles are firmly adhered.

(2) Advantages of HPMC in tile adhesives

1. Improve construction performance
The thickening and water retention properties of HPMC can significantly improve the construction performance of tile adhesives, making them easier to operate in wall and floor construction, evenly applied, and not easy to sag, thereby improving construction efficiency and quality.

2. Improve bonding strength
The adhesion and film-forming properties of HPMC help to improve the bonding strength of tile adhesives, ensuring that tiles are not easy to fall off after being pasted. In actual applications, the addition of HPMC enables tile adhesives to withstand greater external impact and vibration.

3. Extend open time
Due to the water retention properties of HPMC, the open time and adjustment time of tile adhesives can be extended, giving construction personnel more time to make adjustments and corrections, avoiding construction problems caused by too short an open time.

4. Improve weather resistance
The film formed by HPMC after drying has good water resistance and weather resistance, which can improve the performance of tile adhesives in humid and harsh environments and extend their service life.

(3) Specific application of HPMC in tile adhesives
1. Ordinary tile adhesives
In the formula of ordinary tile adhesives, the main function of HPMC is to provide thickening and water retention properties, improve its construction operation performance and bonding strength. Usually, the addition amount of HPMC is 0.3% to 0.5% of the total formula.

2. High-performance tile adhesives
In high-performance tile adhesives, HPMC not only provides thickening and water retention properties, but also improves the water resistance, freeze-thaw resistance and aging resistance of the adhesive through its excellent film-forming and bonding properties. This type of adhesive is usually used in tile pasting projects with higher requirements, such as outdoor walls, large floor tile paving, etc.

3. Special-purpose tile adhesives
For some special-purpose tile adhesives, such as adhesives for natural stones such as marble and granite, HPMC can provide additional crack and deformation resistance to ensure the stability and durability of the stone after pasting.

As a cellulose ether with excellent performance, HPMC plays an important role in tile adhesives. Its thickening, water retention, film-forming and bonding properties not only significantly improve the construction performance and bonding strength of tile adhesives, but also improve its water resistance and weather resistance, meeting the needs of modern construction for high-performance tile adhesives. In the future, with the continuous advancement of building materials technology, the application of HPMC in tile adhesives will be more extensive and in-depth, making greater contributions to the development of the construction industry.