Under alkaline conditions, the hydroxyl groups of CMC become alcoholate anion. The alcoholate anion attacks the
epoxy groups of ECH to form a monoether of chloropropanediol. A new epoxy group will yield by chloride displacement rearrangements of the chloropropanediol monoether. When the new epoxy groups react with the hydroxyl groups of another CMC, the crosslinking reaction occurs between ECH and CMC