In the ready-mixed spray mortar, the addition amount of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose ether is very low, but it can significantly improve the performance of wet mortar and is a major additive that affects the construction performance of mortar. Reasonable selection of cellulose ethers of different varieties, different viscosities, different particle sizes, different viscosity degrees and addition amounts will have a positive impact on the improvement of the performance of dry mortar. At present, many masonry and plastering mortars have poor water retention properties, and the water slurry will separate after a few minutes of standing. Water retention is an important property of methyl cellulose ether, and it is also a property that many domestic dry powder mortar manufacturers pay attention to, especially those in high temperature areas. The factors that affect the water retention effect of dry mortar include the amount of MC added, the viscosity of MC, the fineness of the particles and the temperature of the use environment. Cellulose ether is a synthetic high molecular polymer obtained by chemical modification of natural cellulose as raw material.

The important role of water-soluble cellulose ether in mortar is mainly in three aspects, one is excellent water retention capacity, the other is the effect on the consistency and thixotropy of mortar, and the third is the interaction with cement. The water retention effect of cellulose ether depends on the water absorption of the base layer, the composition of the mortar, the layer thickness of the mortar, the water demand of the mortar, and the setting time of the coagulating material. The water retention of cellulose ether itself comes from the solubility and dehydration of cellulose ether itself.

In ready-mixed spray mortar, hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose ether plays the role of water retention, thickening, delaying cement hydration power, and improving construction performance. Good water retention capacity makes cement hydration more complete, which can improve the wet viscosity of wet mortar, improve the bond strength of mortar, and can adjust the time. The addition of hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose ether to mechanical spray mortar can improve the spray or pump performance of the mortar, as well as the structural strength. Therefore, cellulose ether is being widely used as an important additive in ready-mixed mortar.