Methyl cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose are not the same thing. Methyl cellulose is a kind of nonionic cellulose ether, which is made by etherification, introducing methyl group in cellulose; Carboxymethyl cellulose is obtained by carboxymethylation with cellulose.
Methyl cellulose is a chemical substance with excellent properties, with good wetting, viscosity, dispersion, thickening and water retention properties, and is used more in medical treatment. As it can ensure the stability of tear film and reduce the volatilization effect of tears, it can be used clinically for corneal and conjunctival dryness as well as anterior chamber angle examination, three-side mirror examination and fundus contact lens examination when doing media.
Carboxymethyl cellulose can form high-viscosity colloid, solution, with adhesion, thickening, emulsification and dispersion, molding, water retention, film-forming, acid-resistant, salt-resistant and other characteristics, and harmless to the human body, is widely used in the field of food, pharmaceuticals, daily chemicals, paper, textiles, construction and so on. In the pharmaceutical industry, carboxymethyl cellulose with appropriate viscosity is often chosen as the adhesive, disintegrating agent and suspending agent of drugs.