Database/Binding/Ethylcellulose
Mostly natural · ISO 16128

Is Ethylcellulose natural?

Mostly. The cellulose backbone is wood or cotton-derived; the ethyl ether groups are added using petrochemical ethylating agents.

INCI nameEthylcellulose
CAS9004-57-3
FormulaC20H38O11 · 454.5 Da
FunctionBinding · Film Forming
FeedstockEthylcellulose is made by reacting wood or cotton…

How we scored it

Cellulose repeat unit 162.1 Da (natural) + 2.5 ethyl groups x28.05=70.1 Da (petrochemical), typical DS~2.5. 162.1/232.3=0.70.
What counts. ISO 16128-2 scores the atoms that remain in the final ingredient. Reagents, solvents, catalysts and protecting groups used during manufacture leave no mass behind and are not counted.

How it’s made

Two alkoxides of alkali cellulose each attack ethyl chloride (SN2). Each curved arrow moves one electron pair, and the film ends on the score above.

Where it comes from

Ethylcellulose is made by reacting wood or cotton cellulose with ethyl chloride or diethyl sulfate, petrochemical alkylating agents, to a typical degree of substitution near 2.5. No natural-origin route exists for the ethylation step.

In plain English

A film-forming, thickening polymer made by chemically modifying natural plant cellulose with a petroleum-derived ethylating agent. Most of its weight is still the original plant fibre.

CosIng definition: Cellulose, ethyl ether

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Structure

2D structure of Ethylcellulose

2-[4,5-diethoxy-2-(ethoxymethyl)-6-methoxyoxan-3-yl]oxy-6-(hydroxymethyl)-5-methoxyoxane-3,4-diol

PubChem CID 24832091 ↗

References

  1. 1ISO 16128-1:2016 and ISO 16128-2:2017 — Guidelines on technical definitions and criteria for natural and organic cosmetic ingredients and products. ISO, Geneva.
  2. 2Ethylcellulose. PubChem CID 24832091. National Center for Biotechnology Information. pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov ↗
  3. 3ETHYLCELLULOSE. CosIng — European Commission cosmetic ingredient database. ec.europa.eu/cosing ↗
  4. 4ETHYLCELLULOSE. CosIng u2014 European Commission database for information on cosmetic substances and ingredients. https://ec.europa.eu/growth/tools-databases/cosing/search?search=ETHYLCELLULOSE