Volume Exclusion
Thickeners employ
water-soluble polymers
that swell with water and
take up space in the
paint. Cellulose ethers,
such as CELLOSIZETM
Hydroxyethylcellulose
(HEC), fall into this category. These types of
thickeners create viscosity through chain
entanglement and particle flocculation. Their
ability to thicken is directly proportional to their
molecular weight and concentration in the paint
formulation. The greater the molecular weight, the
more efficiently they thicken.