Hydroxypropyl Methylcellulose
HPMC is the excipient that does its most important job by swelling slowly. Press a K-grade into a tablet and water builds a gel layer at the surface that controls how fast the drug gets out — which is how most hydrophilic sustained-release products actually work.
Chelora Chemicals supplies hypromellose to pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food manufacturers worldwide, across E and K grades, with a batch COA, GHS safety data sheet and the regulatory statements your QA file needs.
Product identity
- CAS Number
- 9004-65-3
- Compendial name
- Hypromellose
- EC Number
- 618-389-6
- Substitution types
- 1828 · 2208 · 2906 · 2910
- Common grades
- E5 · E15 · E50 · K4M · K15M · K100M
- Food additive number
- E464
- Pharmacopoeias
- USP-NF · Ph. Eur. · JP · IP · BP
- HS Code
- 3912 39*
* Confirm the exact HS heading with your customs broker — cellulose ethers can sit under a different subheading depending on the destination tariff schedule and the declared end use.
What HPMC is used for
Hypromellose is a white to off-white, free-flowing powder — cellulose carrying both methyl and hydroxypropyl ether groups. The ratio between those two substituents is what defines the substitution type, and the chain length is what defines the viscosity grade. Between them, those two numbers determine almost everything the material will do in your formulation.
It has four main pharmaceutical roles: the film former in aqueous tablet coating (low-viscosity E grades), the matrix polymer in hydrophilic sustained release (high-viscosity K grades), a binder and thickener in a range of dosage forms, and the base polymer for vegetarian hard capsule shells. Outside pharma it is widely used in food under E464 and in construction products.
Where it sits among cellulose ethers
- HPMC / hypromellose (this product) methyl plus hydroxypropyl; the most versatile of the family and the only one routinely used for both coating and sustained release.
- HPC (hydroxypropylcellulose) hydroxypropyl only; soluble in alcohol as well as water, used for binding and film coating.
- Methylcellulose methyl only; stronger thermal gelation, used more in food than in pharma.
- Sodium CMC an anionic ether; a thickener, and when crosslinked a superdisintegrant. See that page.
Grade choice within HPMC usually matters more than choosing between these — see the full excipient range.
Appearance and handling character
The material is hygroscopic and soluble in cold water but not hot, which is the opposite of most powders and the single most important practical fact about it. Dispersions are made by wetting the powder in hot water, where it does not dissolve, then cooling to let it hydrate — dump it into cold water instead and you get lumps with dry cores. It is not classified as a hazardous substance.
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Appearance | White to off-white free-flowing powder |
| Identification | Conforms |
| Apparent viscosity | 80 – 120% of label value |
| Methoxy content | Per substitution type |
| Hydroxypropoxy content | Per substitution type |
| Loss on drying | 5.0% max |
| pH (aqueous solution) | 5.0 – 8.0 |
| Residue on ignition | 1.5% max |
| Microbial limits | TAMC ≤ 1000 cfu/g · TYMC ≤ 100 cfu/g |
Important: the figures above are indicative of compendial-grade material and are offered for planning only. The batch certificate of analysis is the governing document. Substitution type and viscosity are the figures that define the product — tell us the grade you use and we will quote against it.
| Type / grade | Methoxy & typical role |
|---|---|
| 2910 — "E" grades | 28 – 30% methoxy · film coating |
| 2208 — "K" grades | 19 – 24% methoxy · sustained release |
| 2906 — "F" grades | 27 – 30% methoxy · coating & matrix |
| 1828 | 16.5 – 20% methoxy · specialised use |
| E5 / E15 / E50 | 5 / 15 / 50 mPa·s · coating viscosity ladder |
| K4M / K15M / K100M | 4000 / 15 000 / 100 000 mPa·s · release rate ladder |
The letter denotes the substitution type, the number the nominal 2% solution viscosity in mPa·s, and "M" multiplies by one thousand. Brand designations differ slightly between producers — send us yours and we will cross-reference it.
Where our customers put this excipient to work
The same polymer family coats a tablet, controls its release, and makes the capsule it goes into — with the grade doing all the work.
Aqueous film coating
Low-viscosity E grades form clear, tough, fast-drying films from water, the default for cosmetic and moisture-barrier coating.
- E5 and E15 are the common choices
- Pairs with PVP K30 in coating blends
- Coating trials supported
Sustained-release matrices
High-viscosity K grades build a hydrated gel layer that meters drug release over hours, the backbone of most hydrophilic ER tablets.
- K4M, K15M and K100M grades
- Release profile depends on grade and level
- Technical desk review of your route
Vegetarian capsule shells
The polymer that replaced gelatin for plant-based and halal-compliant capsules, with no BSE/TSE question attached.
- Capsule-grade specification
- Non-animal, vegan and halal statements
- Bulk quantities available
Tablet binder
Used in wet granulation where a cellulose-ether binder is preferred to a vinyl polymer, often at 2–5%.
- Low-viscosity grades preferred
- Pairs with MCC PH-101
- Blend trials supported
Ophthalmic & liquid dosage
Used as a viscosity builder and lubricant in eye drops, and as a suspending agent in oral liquids.
- Ophthalmic-grade specification available
- Low microbial limits on request
- Viscosity data per batch
Food & construction grades
Permitted as E464 in food, and widely specified in tile adhesives, renders and dry-mix mortars as a water-retention agent.
- Food and construction grades available
- Different specification from pharma grade
- Bulk and contract supply
How we supply HPMC / Hypromellose
Chelora Chemicals is a supplier and sourcing partner, not a manufacturer. On a polymer where the grade designation carries the whole specification, owning no plant means we are never steering you toward the grade we happen to make — we route your order to the producer whose substitution and viscosity consistency actually match your release profile.
We place your order with whichever qualified producer best matches your grade, your compendial requirement, your price point and your delivery window.
We keep a second qualified source on this line. On a sustained-release product a polymer change means repeating dissolution work, so we would rather you qualify the alternate in advance.
- Grade cross-referenced before we quote. Brand designations differ between producers and a wrong equivalence can change a release profile — we settle it first.
- Viscosity consistency trended, not just checked. The monograph allows 80–120% of label; on an ER product that range is far too wide to treat as interchangeable.
- Substitution type confirmed explicitly. 2208 and 2910 are both "HPMC" and are not substitutes for one another; we state the type on every quote.
- Full regulatory statement pack. BSE/TSE, GMO, allergen, residual solvent, elemental impurity and nitrosamine risk statements with the consignment.
- Pre-shipment samples for dissolution work. On an ER formulation your laboratory runs a full profile before the commercial quantity moves.
- Change notification taken seriously. If a source plant changes anything that touches your filing, you hear about it from us first.
Packed the way your plant receives it
HPMC is light, hygroscopic and bought by the grade, so the pack has to protect a slow-moving drum as well as get it there. Tell us how it will be charged and we will quote the right format.
Multiwall paper bags
Kraft bags with an inner PE liner on shrink-wrapped pallets — the standard format for high-turnover grades.
Fibre drums, double-lined
Double PE liner inside a fibre drum, preferred for slow-moving speciality grades that are opened repeatedly.
Jumbo bags (FIBC)
Lined, discharge-spout FIBCs for construction-grade volumes and high-throughput coating operations.
Trial / sample quantities
Small sealed packs dispatched so your formulation team can run coating or dissolution trials before committing to a grade.
Incoterms to suit you
Quoted on the Incoterm your purchasing team works to, with export documentation filed before the booking is made.
Campaign despatch
We hold contracted tonnage by grade and release it against your production calendar rather than landing it all at once.
Benign material, unusual dissolution behaviour
HPMC is not classified as hazardous and is used in food, medicine and eye drops. The handling knowledge it demands is about getting it into solution correctly and keeping moisture out — plus the genuine slip hazard of a wetted spill. The summary below is orientation only — the safety data sheet supplied with your consignment is the authoritative document.
Hazard position
GHSNot classified as a hazardous substance or mixture.DUSTNuisance dust; may cause mechanical irritation to eyes and the respiratory tract.SLIPExtremely slippery when wet — the one real safety point on this material.ATEXOrganic powder — combustible dust precautions apply in enclosed handling.
The slip hazard is not a formality. A small HPMC spill that meets water becomes a gel film that is genuinely dangerous underfoot, and it is the incident most commonly reported around this product. Always read the SDS issued with your specific batch.
Practical handling notes
- Disperse hot, dissolve cold. Wet the powder in water at 80–90 °C, where it will not dissolve, then cool with agitation. Doing it the other way round gives lumps with dry centres.
- Clean spills dry before washing. Vacuum the powder first; hosing it down creates a slip hazard that takes a long time to clear.
- Re-seal the liner immediately. Moisture pick-up affects LOD and makes solution preparation less predictable.
- Keep it out of the drain. It builds viscosity in water and will foul a trap.
- Bond and earth transfer equipment. The powder charges readily on pneumatic conveying.
Storage
- Cool, dry, tightly closed store. Ordinary warehouse conditions with humidity control; no temperature control is needed.
- Keep the liner intact. A damaged liner on a slow-moving speciality grade is a performance risk long before it becomes a contamination one.
- Store grades separately and label clearly. E5 and K100M look identical in the drum and are not remotely interchangeable — segregation is a real control here.
- Keep off the floor and away from external walls. Condensation against a cold wall reaches the drum before it reaches the room.
- Shelf life typically 36 months. In sealed original packing. Re-test viscosity and LOD before use after extended storage.
Handling & PPE
- Standard GMP powder handling. Local exhaust at tipping points, gloves, safety glasses and a dust mask where airborne powder is generated.
- Verify the grade at the point of use. Confirming the label against the batch record matters more on this product than almost any other excipient.
- Make coating solutions fresh. Viscosity drifts and microbial growth becomes a factor in a standing aqueous solution.
- Dedicated scoops and containers. Cross-contamination between viscosity grades is the practical risk.
- Dispose of as ordinary non-hazardous waste. Subject to your local waste classification.
Transport
Hypromellose is not a regulated dangerous good and ships as general cargo by road, sea and air. We issue the commercial and compendial documentation with every consignment — ask us for the full document pack when you plan the shipment.
What travels with every consignment
On an excipient the documentation is half the product. A grade that performs perfectly and arrives without the right statements is still a batch your QA cannot release.
Certificate of Analysis
Batch-specific viscosity, methoxy and hydroxypropoxy content, LOD, pH, residue on ignition and microbial limits against the monographs you cite.
GHS Safety Data Sheet
Full 16-section SDS in GHS format, issued in the language your destination requires, confirming the unclassified status in writing.
BSE / TSE & GMO statements
Confirmation of plant origin with no animal-derived material at any stage — the reason HPMC capsules exist — plus non-GMO declaration.
Elemental impurities & residual solvents
ICH Q3D elemental impurity data and residual solvent statements on request, with a nitrosamine risk assessment statement where your filing needs one.
Halal, kosher & allergen
Certification and allergen statements supplied with the consignment, covering the declarations most commonly requested by QA.
Retained & pre-shipment samples
Pre-shipment samples carry the same COA as the commercial lot, so what your laboratory qualifies is exactly what arrives.
Two substituents, one very wide range
Everything HPMC does follows from how much methyl and how much hydroxypropyl sits on the cellulose chain, and how long that chain is. The steps below are the general industrial pattern, not a process disclosure.
Make alkali cellulose
Purified cellulose pulp is treated with caustic to swell the fibre and activate the hydroxyl groups.
Etherify with two reagents
Methyl chloride and propylene oxide react onto the chain; their ratio sets the substitution type.
Wash and control chain length
Washing removes salt by-products, and controlled depolymerisation sets the viscosity grade.
Dry, mill and classify
Drying and milling give the particle size distribution that governs dispersion behaviour in your mixer.
Why substitution and viscosity carry through the whole formulation
On HPMC the grade is the specification, and small differences inside it matter:
- Substitution type sets hydration rate. A 2208 K grade hydrates faster and more completely than a 2910 E grade — which is exactly why K grades control release and E grades coat.
- Viscosity sets gel-layer strength. On an ER matrix the polymer's viscosity grade is one of the two main levers on your release profile, the other being how much you use.
- The 80–120% viscosity window is wide. Compendially acceptable, but on a sustained-release product two batches at opposite ends of it can give different dissolution curves.
- Particle size affects dispersion, not performance. A coarser lot is easier to disperse without lumping; a finer one hydrates faster once wetted.
That is why we cross-reference the exact grade you use and trend viscosity across batches, and why the batch COA is shared for approval before dispatch rather than sent with the invoice.
| Material | Substituents / use |
|---|---|
| Hypromellose (HPMC) CAS 9004-65-3 — this product | Methyl + hydroxypropyl |
| Hydroxypropylcellulose CAS 9004-64-2 | Hydroxypropyl only · alcohol soluble |
| Methylcellulose CAS 9004-67-5 | Methyl only · strong thermal gelation |
| Sodium CMC CAS 9004-32-4 | Anionic · thickener |
We supply across the excipient range — see the full excipient range. Send your formulation and we will confirm the grades before quoting.
What actually moves the price of this product
Knowing what drives the quote helps you time a purchase and read whether an offer is realistic.
Pulp and etherification reagents
Cellulose pulp, methyl chloride and propylene oxide all feed in, and propylene oxide in particular follows its own petrochemical cycle.
- Pulp tracks forestry and energy costs
- Propylene oxide is a separate cycle
- We flag feedstock-driven moves in the quote
Grade and purity tier
Construction-grade, food-grade and pharma-grade HPMC come off related plants at very different prices and specifications.
- Never cross-shop grades on price alone
- Pharma grade carries the statement pack
- We will say when a lower tier will do
High-viscosity premium
K100M and similar high-viscosity grades are harder to make consistently and carry a premium over low-viscosity coating grades.
- Specify the viscosity you actually need
- Grade plus level sets the release profile
- Ask us about profile-equivalent options
Freight on a low-density powder
HPMC cubes out a container well before it weighs out, so freight per kilo is high and pack format matters.
- Always compare on landed cost
- Container utilisation drives the number
- We quote FOB, CIF, CFR or DDP as you prefer
Construction demand competition
Dry-mix mortar demand consumes very large HPMC volumes and can tighten availability of shared intermediates.
- Construction season affects availability
- Pharma grades are better insulated
- Contracted call-off smooths the exposure
Source qualification lead time
On a sustained-release product, changing HPMC source means repeating dissolution work — the real cost of a supply gap.
- We hold a second qualified source on this line
- Qualify the alternate before you need it
- Ask us about dual-source contracts
| If your application is… | Specify |
|---|---|
| Aqueous film coating | E5 or E15 (type 2910) |
| Thicker barrier coating | E50 (type 2910) |
| Sustained release, short profile | K4M (type 2208) |
| Sustained release, long profile | K15M or K100M (type 2208) |
| Wet-granulation binder | Low-viscosity E or K grade, 2–5% |
| Vegetarian capsule shells | Capsule-grade hypromellose |
Not sure which row you are in? Describe your dosage form, your target release profile and the grade you currently use and our technical desk will recommend the equivalent.
Support that goes beyond shipping the pallet
What our technical desk will do
- Cross-reference your current grade first. Brand designations differ between producers, and on an ER formulation a wrong equivalence is a failed dissolution study, not a minor variance.
- Confirm the substitution type explicitly. 2208 and 2910 are both sold as "HPMC" and are not interchangeable; we state the type on every quote.
- Ask about your release profile. It is the question that decides grade and level together, and it comes up before pricing.
- Get you the statement pack early. BSE/TSE, GMO, allergen and elemental impurity statements arrive with the sample, not after the order.
Regulatory & compliance notes
- Excipient change control is yours to manage. Tell us which products this feeds and we will treat source changes as notifiable rather than routine.
- Compendial monographs differ in detail. USP-NF, Ph. Eur., JP and IP are close but not identical; we confirm coverage rather than assuming harmonisation.
- GMP expectations vary by market. IPEC-style excipient GMP documentation is available where your market expects it.
- Pharma, food and construction grades are not interchangeable. They share a CAS number and very little else in specification terms.
None of the above is legal advice — your own regulatory affairs team owns the final compliance position for your import and your filing. What we commit to is accurate product identity data, correctly matched grades and complete documentation to work from.
From enquiry to delivered pallet
Send the specification
Grade and substitution type (E5, K100M or equivalent), the pharmacopoeias you cite, quantity, pack preference and destination port.
Receive a firm quote
Pricing, lead time, packing and Incoterm confirmed in writing within 24 hours — our sourcing desk is staffed around the clock.
Qualify and approve
Sample dispatched with the full statement pack for your coating or dissolution trials. Batch COA shared for approval before release.
Ship and track
Freight booked, export documents issued, and the consignment tracked through transit and clearance to your plant.
What buyers ask us about HPMC / Hypromellose
What is HPMC used for?
What is the difference between E grades and K grades?
How do I read a grade designation like K4M or E5?
Which viscosity grade should I use for sustained release?
Why does HPMC gel when heated?
Is it suitable for vegetarian, vegan, halal and kosher products?
What is the minimum order quantity?
How should we store it?
Do you manufacture this yourself?
Request pricing on HPMC / Hypromellose
Send your grade and substitution type, the pharmacopoeias you cite, quantity, pack format and destination port. Our sourcing desk is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, and comes back with pricing, lead time and packing options.