Can carboxymethylcellulose be used in place of methylcellulose?

Here you can discuss sample and specimen preparation issues.
Post Reply
Message
Author
macnmotion
Posts: 524
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2022 3:13 am

Can carboxymethylcellulose be used in place of methylcellulose?

#1 Post by macnmotion » Sat Oct 15, 2022 2:46 am

Hi. I'm in Thailand, and all I can find online for purchase is carboxymethylcellulose, not methylcellulose. Does anyone know if carboxymethylcellulose can be used as a slowing agent in my water samples, or will the carboxyl group damage the sample? Thanks.

Greg Howald
Posts: 1185
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:44 am

Re: Can carboxymethylcellulose be used in place of methylcellulose?

#2 Post by Greg Howald » Sat Oct 15, 2022 8:30 pm

Hopefully you can find Cytrocell, a dietary product made with methycellulose, and used to thicken liquids, common in the drug section of grocery stores or at the pharmacy.

macnmotion
Posts: 524
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2022 3:13 am

Re: Can carboxymethylcellulose be used in place of methylcellulose?

#3 Post by macnmotion » Sun Oct 16, 2022 8:51 am

Greg Howald wrote:
Sat Oct 15, 2022 8:30 pm
Hopefully you can find Cytrocell, a dietary product made with methycellulose, and used to thicken liquids, common in the drug section of grocery stores or at the pharmacy.
Oh, thanks. I see I can get that online here in Thailand, but it's about 4x as much as in USA. I'll pick some up next trip home.

Greg Howald
Posts: 1185
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:44 am

Re: Can carboxymethylcellulose be used in place of methylcellulose?

#4 Post by Greg Howald » Sun Oct 16, 2022 11:51 am

I don't know hoe to spell it, but can you get Metamucil. It has been used to slow things down in pond water. Also glycerin has been used. They both increase the viscosity of the water. It's hard to swim in something that seem as thick as syrup.

macnmotion
Posts: 524
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2022 3:13 am

Re: Can carboxymethylcellulose be used in place of methylcellulose?

#5 Post by macnmotion » Sun Oct 16, 2022 12:20 pm

Greg Howald wrote:
Sun Oct 16, 2022 11:51 am
I don't know hoe to spell it, but can you get Metamucil. It has been used to slow things down in pond water. Also glycerin has been used. They both increase the viscosity of the water. It's hard to swim in something that seem as thick as syrup.
I'll look for that. Thanks. I'm sure I can get glycerin. Thanks again.

Hobbyst46
Posts: 4277
Joined: Mon Aug 21, 2017 9:02 pm

Re: Can carboxymethylcellulose be used in place of methylcellulose?

#6 Post by Hobbyst46 » Sun Oct 16, 2022 1:52 pm

macnmotion wrote:
Sun Oct 16, 2022 12:20 pm
Greg Howald wrote:
Sun Oct 16, 2022 11:51 am
I don't know hoe to spell it, but can you get Metamucil. It has been used to slow things down in pond water. Also glycerin has been used. They both increase the viscosity of the water. It's hard to swim in something that seem as thick as syrup.
I'll look for that. Thanks. I'm sure I can get glycerin. Thanks again.
MC and even CMC should be better than glycerine for this purpose, since glycerine, besides being viscous, is a solvent (albeit much much weaker than ethanol for example). Anyway, if you try glycerine, I would suggest to start with very low concentrations. Much less (percentage-wise) than MC.

macnmotion
Posts: 524
Joined: Mon Sep 26, 2022 3:13 am

Re: Can carboxymethylcellulose be used in place of methylcellulose?

#7 Post by macnmotion » Sun Oct 16, 2022 2:26 pm

Hobbyst46 wrote:
Sun Oct 16, 2022 1:52 pm
macnmotion wrote:
Sun Oct 16, 2022 12:20 pm
Greg Howald wrote:
Sun Oct 16, 2022 11:51 am
I don't know hoe to spell it, but can you get Metamucil. It has been used to slow things down in pond water. Also glycerin has been used. They both increase the viscosity of the water. It's hard to swim in something that seem as thick as syrup.
I'll look for that. Thanks. I'm sure I can get glycerin. Thanks again.
MC and even CMC should be better than glycerine for this purpose, since glycerine, besides being viscous, is a solvent (albeit much much weaker than ethanol for example). Anyway, if you try glycerine, I would suggest to start with very low concentrations. Much less (percentage-wise) than MC.
Thanks for that heads up.

Greg Howald
Posts: 1185
Joined: Tue Oct 20, 2020 6:44 am

Re: Can carboxymethylcellulose be used in place of methylcellulose?

#8 Post by Greg Howald » Mon Oct 17, 2022 5:02 pm

True. I have watched things being destroyed by too much glycerin .

User avatar
Wes
Posts: 1027
Joined: Sat Mar 09, 2019 12:58 pm

Re: Can carboxymethylcellulose be used in place of methylcellulose?

#9 Post by Wes » Mon Oct 17, 2022 8:29 pm

Glycerin has a strong osmotic effects which kills the organisms you want to slow down.

Here is what I found following a very brief search: https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/253926198025
Zeiss Photomicroscope III BF/DF/Pol/Ph/DIC/FL/Jamin-Lebedeff
Youtube channel

Post Reply