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Reversible Thermal Gelation

Gel formation at elevated temperature is the distinctive property of METHOCEL. No other food gums do this. We offer a range of products, some of which exhibit a very firm gel at temperatures at or above 50°C, with a texture like a very firm gelatin. Other products in our line exhibit weak gels at or above 90°C, with a texture of more like soft yogurt. The gel is even more unique in that it only exists at temperatures above its gel point. As the food product cools, the gel structure of METHOCEL melts. This is analogous to gelatin, only backwards. We all know that gelatin is a liquid at warm temperatures and a solid (gel) at low temperatures. METHOCEL is exactly the same only backwards (or upside down depending on your frame of reference). This feature is an obvious great fit if you are developing products that need stability at cooking temperatures to prevent a sauce thinning out or a filling boiling out. This feature can improve a food if it undergoes heating at some point in its processing or preparation and needs stability at cooking or processing temperature, which, if you think about it, is most foods.

Binding

METHOCEL products offer excellent binding performance for foods that need to keep their pieces/parts together. Products like vegetarian burgers, onion rings, and formed potato products are all improved by the binding strength of METHOCEL products. This is due to the cohesive nature of METHOCEL at low temperatures and the structural integrity of the gel at higher temperatures. Cold or hot, METHOCEL hits the spot.

Air Entrainment

METHOCEL products are the preferred stabilizers for whipped topping. We offer the widest range of low viscosity MC and HPMC so we can define the best product to use based on final texture and desired overun needed. This is great for anyone making whipped products, like toppings and mousses. Ironically, the same physical chemistry properties that explain reversible thermal gelation of METHOCEL explain its ability to entrain air. Basically, the low molecular weight types of METHOCEL are able to quickly coalesce around the surface of air bubbles and form an elastic microgel that preserves the integrity of the bubble. I can hear you saying, "But these are cold products. How can the gel form if it's not hot?" Glad you asked. We all know certain reactions are driven by reactant concentrations even if other conditions are unfavorable. And in this case, METHOCEL is the key reactant and even at cold temperatures, if the concentration is high enough, a gel forms. Now I hear you saying "But the concentration is so darn low in these formulations, there couldn't be enough METHOCEL in the product to gel." Well we can explain that also. As we said earlier, an elastic microgel forms around the bubble surface. The METHOCEL coalesces around the bubbles, forming a region rich with METHOCEL only a tiny fraction of an inch thick. This region contains a solution of METHOCEL so concentrated it can gel even at cold or freezing temperatures.

Viscosity

Dow is the world leader in MC and HPMC and we offer more types and grades than any other manufacturer. Our lowest viscosity products contribute virtually no viscosity to a food product, similar to Gum Arabic. Our highest viscosity products are among the most efficient thickeners available for the food industry. So our range of product types and performance is greater than you can find anywhere else. And we never stop pushing the envelope. We introduce, on average, a new food grade every year. You know the old saying, if you don't see it on the menu, just ask. Maybe we'll invent a new one for you.

Delayed Hydration

This is another truly unique property to METHOCEL, driven by its temperature performance profile. You can control when METHOCEL activates in your formula by adjusting the temperature of the starting formulation. If you disperse METHOCEL into water above its gel point, the METHOCEL just sits there. Only after the temperature of the product drops below the gel temperature does the METHOCEL go into solution and become active. This is great if you have a hot process, like canned soups, sauces, or gravies. You can take advantage of this feature to reduce your overall processing time. Your colleagues in production, who will benefit directly by reducing the batch process times and increasing production capacity, will be delighted. Executives at your company will recognize that you not only formulate new products but make the plant assets more productive.

Freeze Thaw Stability

METHOCEL products are great for preventing freeze-thaw problems from occurring. As Jerry says, "Everyone knows that when you have pendant hydroxyls, especially when they're repeated and staggered on this type of side chain, you have a water magnet. Couple that with reduced system energy and that water is not going anywhere until the energy input exceeds this polymer's retentive capacity, which is massive and therefore unlikely." What this really means is you can decide how much moisture to tie up and when you want it released by adjusting the METHOCEL used. So, do you still think you'll have water crystallization during freeze-thaw cycling? I don't think so.

Surfactancy

METHOCEL products are the only food gums that truly lower the surface tension of water. This means they make water wetter, allowing easier whipping, more efficient emulsification, and film formation. This is great if you make emulsions, like whipped toppings, sherbets, and salad dressings. This is tied to the nature of the side groups on the cellulose backbone. Now, we're not claiming that METHOCEL is a great surfactant. It's not as powerful as a Tween or a Span, for instance. But many food formulations and processes benefit from a little surfactancy and even in those formulations which need a lot of it, METHOCEL can contribute to this specific need.

Emulsion Stability

Stabilizing emulsions usually requires that one prevent phase separation or oiling off. In these cases, the process is almost always the same, oil droplets aggregate together, coalesce to form larger droplets, and the larger droplets, which are less dense, float to the surface. We've got Brownian motion, van der Wall's forces, and Stoke's law written all over this one. METHOCEL affects this in two primary ways. First, because it lowers the surface tension of water, it allows smaller oil droplets to be formed easily during processing. Second it forms elastic surface films around the oil droplets and these interfacial films prevent the oil droplets from coalescing.

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