Rheology Modifiers & Thickeners

Rheology modifiers and thickeners are additives that set the viscosity,nsuspension, and flow of a cleaning product so it pours, clings, and stays homogeneous asnintended. In liquid cleaners they work two ways: electrolyte thickening,nwhere added salt builds viscosity in anionic and amphoteric surfactant systems, andnpolymeric thickening, where a biopolymer or cellulose ether builds a network thatnholds viscosity and suspends solids. Choose the mechanism by what the formula must tolerate,nnot by cost alone.

Sodium chloride is the cheapest viscosity tool in liquid dish and hand cleaners: a smallnsalt addition thickens SLES and betaine blends along a sharp salt-response curve. Thentrade-off is real. Salt thickening collapses in high-electrolyte formulas, drifts with pH,nand gives a thin, stringy body that cannot suspend particles. Use it where the surfactantnsystem is simple and the only job is body; move to a polymer when the formula carries bleach,nbuilders, or abrasives.

Xanthan gum and hydroxyethylcellulose (HEC) cover what salt cannot. Xanthan builds a yieldnstress that suspends abrasives, encapsulates, and pigments in cream cleansers and scouringnproducts, and it holds across a wide pH and electrolyte range. HEC is a nonionic cellulosenether that thickens surfactant systems without ionic interference and gives a smoother, lessnstringy flow. Both cost more per unit of viscosity than salt, so specify them when suspension,nelectrolyte tolerance, or cling justifies the spend.

• Building viscosity in liquid hand dishwash and all-purpose cleaners (salt response of SLES/betaine systems)
• Suspending abrasives, encapsulates, and pigments in cream cleansers and scouring products (yield stress)
• Cling and dwell on vertical surfaces for toilet-bowl and bathroom gels
• Stabilizing viscosity in high-electrolyte, builder-heavy, or bleach-containing formulas where salt thickening fails
• Controlled, pourable flow in laundry liquids and floor-care concentrates

• Sodium chloride u2014 PubChem
• Xanthan gum u2014 PubChem
• Hydroxyethylcellulose u2014 PubChem