How Cellulose Ethers Improve the Performance of Tile Adhesives

1. Introduction

Tile adhesive is a unique kind of glue used to attach and lock the tiles together on the construction site. Cellulose ethers is an important component of ceramic tile adhesive,which can greatly improve the perforcemance of it. Tile adhesive is made up of Portland cement and is available as a ready to use mixture. It is a mixture of cementitious material (organic or inorganic), used as a leading application of modern special dry mortar.

Tile adhesive is prepared as per the particular applications such as placing tiles, laying large sized granite, glass mosaics, to lay tiles on polished substrates, parking areas, floors, walls, swimming pools, bathrooms, kitchens, external sites, industrial areas, etc.

It is easy to use mixture that only requires water to be mixed. It is a flexible material used for fixing tiles of different substrates like cement, wood, glass, etc. Polymers like epoxy and preferred collective particles with some additives such as grading aggregates, water-retaining agents, early strength agents, latex powder, etc. are mixed in the mixture. Cellulose Ether is one of the crucial additives incorporated in the mixture to strengthen its ability to fasten the tile with each other.

2. The Function of Cellulose Ether in Tile Adhesive

The performance of tile adhesive cannot be judged solely. Redispersible polymer powder and cellulose ethers are the major additives that enhance the anti-slip performance and operational strength of the tile adhesive. Cellulose ethers also improve and increase the mechanical potency and opening time of the tile adhesive.

Additionally, cellulose ethers also affect the rheological properties of ceramic glue in the tile adhesive.

3. Performance Affected by Cellulose Ether in tile adheisve

3.1 Tile adhesive opening time

Presence of both redispersible latex powder and cellulose ether affects the hydration of the cement and viscosity and setting time of the mortar. Cellulose ethers help in the configuration of hydrogen bonds between the cellulose ether and the base surface. When the water is mixed in the mortar, the cellulose ether gets deepen in the surface, and the water in the mortar evaporates; as a result, a film is formed on the surface of the mortar that diminishes the ensuing evaporation speed.

3.2 Tensile bond strength

Cellulose ether is an additive that plays a significant role when mixed in the tile adhesive mixture. It is mainly used as a water-retaining thickener and has a considerable impact on the hydration hardening process of the tile adhesive. Cellulose ethers with definite delaying effects slows down the dynamic hydration process of the mixture.

3.3 Air-entraining effect.

With structural characteristics of polymeric surfactant, it also has an air-entraining effect. These two effects enhance the Tensile bond strength performance of tile adhesive to a major degree. Different cellulose ethers have a different extent of the impact on tensile bond strength.

3.4 Anti-slip performance

Cellulose Ether is also significant in the modern thin layer construction technique of laying ceramic tiles. It is used as an essential additive to improve the Anti-slip performance of the tile adhesive. To improve the anti-slip performance, there is specific cellulose ether produced with special variation treatment as the anti-slip performance is determined majorly by the type of cellulose ether used.

4. Cellulose Ether Products for Tile Adhesives

DJCELLULOSE’s cellulose products and derivatives. We offer both standard and customized/tailored grade products for your specific industrial application.

Our products provide the following features in tile adhesive applications:

• Improved sag resistance
• Improved workability
• Improved adhesion
• Improved heat and freeze thaw resistance
• Improved water retention
  We provide general and modified cellulose ether and RDP for economical, standard, and premium formulations. Our tailored solutions offer you products that best suit your specific raw materials and special local requirements. Please CONTACT US for more information and samples!