カルボキシメチルセルロース

化学的特性Cellulose is a natural substance normally present in most diets because it is the major structural carbohydrate of green plants. Cellulose is essentially a linear polymer of glucopyranose units connected by α-1,4-glucoside links. In nature, cellulose is present in plant cell walls as fibers. The molecular weight of the isolated cellulose is approximately 50,000 daltons. The principal sources of cellulose for food-related purposes are cotton linters and wood pulp.Chemical processing converts cellulose into forms or derivatives suitable for incorporation into food products or for use in food packaging materials. For food use, the optimum degree of substitution of a carboxymethyl-residue on each anhydroglucopyranose unit on cellulose is 0.95. By preliminary mild acid hydrolysis, the degree of polymerization (i.e., molecular size) of the cellulose may be reduced before carboxymethylation. Control of the degree of substitution and the degree of polymerization during processing results in production of a wide variety of derivatives that differ in such physical properties as gelling, temperature, viscosity and dispersibility in water. Sodium carboxymethyl cellulose is used as a thickening agent and stabilizer in foods. Because carboxymethyl cellulose is spontaneously converted to sodium salt in alkaline solution, it is probable that any distinction between carboxymethyl cellulose and sodium carboxymethyl cellulose in foodstuffs is artificial.*

解説略称CMC．セルロースグリコール酸ともいう．セルロースのヒドロキシ基にカルボキシメチル基を導入したセルロースエーテルの一種．一般には，セルロース，水酸化ナトリウム，モノクロロ酢酸ナトリウムをこねあわせて混合し，反応を行う．また，アルカリセルロースにモノクロロ酢酸ナトリウムを加え，加温して反応させる方法もある．生成物はアルコールで沈殿，精製する．工業的には，水媒法と溶媒法があり，良質の製品は後者によって得られる． Cell-(OH)3 ＋ ClCH2COONa ＋ NaOH → Cell-(OH)2OCH2COONa ＋ NaCl ＋ H2O CMCとして一般に知られており，無味・無臭，無毒の白色の吸湿性固体で，カルボキシメチル基の置換度(グルコース単位当たり3個あるヒドロキシ基のうち，エーテル化されてものの数)0.5程度まではアルカリ可溶であるが，それ以上になると水溶性になる．親水性，水溶液の高粘性，皮膜形成能，保護コロイド性，接着性などの特徴があり，接着剤，洗剤のビルダー，化粧品，医薬品，食品加工などに広く用いられている．[別用語参照]セルロース誘導体森北出版「化学辞典（第2版）

使用carboxymethyl cellulose (cellulose gum) is a thickener. used in cosmetic formulations when a reactant is not required or desired. often used in bath preparations, beauty masks, hand creams, and shampoos. It is considered a non-comedogenic raw material.