Description
Here's a detailed product description for Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) in Markdown format:
Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC)
Unlock Superior Formulation with Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) – The Versatile Excipient for Enhanced Performance and Product Quality.
Microcrystalline Cellulose (MCC) is a highly purified, partially depolymerized cellulose, derived from specialty wood pulp. Recognized globally for its exceptional functional properties, MCC is a cornerstone ingredient across a multitude of industries, including pharmaceuticals, food and beverages, cosmetics, and industrial applications. As a white, odorless, tasteless, inert, and free-flowing powder, MCC offers unparalleled versatility and reliability for your formulation needs.
Product Overview
MCC is essentially cellulose, the most abundant organic polymer on Earth, processed to isolate its highly crystalline regions. This unique structure imparts MCC with its distinctive physical and chemical characteristics, making it an indispensable excipient and functional additive. It is practically insoluble in water, dilute acids, and most organic solvents, ensuring its stability and inertness within complex formulations.
Key Features & Properties
- Exceptional Compressibility: Ideal as a direct compression excipient for tablet manufacturing, enabling robust and stable tablets with excellent hardness and low friability.
- High Purity & Inertness: Chemically unreactive, ensuring no interaction with active ingredients or other formulation components, preserving product integrity.
- Binder & Diluent: Effectively binds powders together and adds bulk to formulations, facilitating consistent dosage and uniform product characteristics.
- Disintegrant Properties: Assists in the rapid disintegration of tablets and capsules, promoting efficient active ingredient release.
- Flow Aid: Improves powder flow characteristics, crucial for efficient manufacturing processes, especially in direct compression and capsule filling.
- Stabilizer & Texturizer: Provides stability to emulsions and suspensions, prevents syneresis, and delivers desirable texture and mouthfeel in food products.
- High Water Binding Capacity: Can absorb significant amounts of water, useful in formulations requiring moisture control or rheological modification.
- Non-caloric Dietary Fiber: A valuable addition to food products for fiber enrichment and calorie reduction without impacting taste or texture.
- Rheology Modifier: Contributes to viscosity and suspension stability in liquid and semi-solid formulations.
- Natural Origin & Biodegradable: Derived from renewable resources and environmentally friendly.
Applications
1. Pharmaceuticals
- Direct Compression Tableting: Primary binder and diluent, enabling efficient, high-speed tablet production.
- Wet Granulation: Binder and filler, improving granule properties.
- Capsule Filling: Filler and glidant, ensuring accurate and consistent fill weights.
- Suspensions & Emulsions: Stabilizer and suspending agent, preventing settling and maintaining uniformity.
- Controlled Release Formulations: Matrix former for sustained drug release.
2. Food & Beverages
- Texturizer: Imparts creamy mouthfeel in low-fat dairy, sauces, dressings, and baked goods.
- Fat & Calorie Reduction: Replaces fats and starches, contributing to healthier product profiles.
- Stabilizer & Emulsifier: Prevents separation in dressings, beverages, and processed foods.
- Anti-Caking Agent: Maintains free-flow properties in powdered mixes and spices.
- Dietary Fiber Enrichment: Boosts fiber content in various food products without affecting sensory attributes.
3. Cosmetics & Personal Care
- Exfoliant: Gentle physical exfoliating agent in scrubs and cleansers.
- Thickener & Stabilizer: Provides body and stability to creams, lotions, and toothpastes.
- Matte Finish Agent: Absorbs excess oil, offering a matte effect in makeup and skincare.
- Bulking Agent: Adds volume and texture to cosmetic formulations.
4. Industrial & Other Applications
- Chromatography: Stationary phase for separation and purification processes.
- Specialty Papers: Enhances paper strength and opacity.
- Ceramics: Binder and rheology modifier in ceramic formulations.
Available Grades & Specifications
Our MCC is available in various grades, differentiated primarily by particle size distribution and bulk density, each optimized for specific applications:
- Standard Grades (e.g., PH101, PH102):
- PH101: Fine particle size, ideal for high-speed direct compression, wet granulation, and capsule filling. Offers excellent flow and compressibility.
- PH102: Coarser particle size, suitable for direct compression requiring higher flowability and less dust.
- Colloidal Grades (e.g., PH105, PH112): Specifically engineered to form stable dispersions in water, acting as superior suspending agents, thickeners, and emulsion stabilizers.
- Other Specialized Grades: Varying in bulk density, moisture content, and specific functional properties to meet unique customer requirements.
All grades consistently meet or exceed the stringent requirements of major international pharmacopoeias, including:
- USP (United States Pharmacopeia)
- EP (European Pharmacopoeia)
- JP (Japanese Pharmacopoeia)
- BP (British Pharmacopoeia)
Regulatory Compliance & Certifications
Our MCC is manufactured under strict quality control standards and adheres to global regulatory requirements, ensuring product safety and efficacy:
- GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) compliant.
- ISO certified manufacturing facilities.
- Halal and Kosher certified.
- Non-GMO (Genetically Modified Organism) certified.
- FDA GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) for food applications.
- Complies with EU Food Additive Regulations.
Packaging & Storage
MCC is typically supplied in multi-ply paper bags with an inner polyethylene liner or in fiber drums, ranging from 20 kg to 500 kg, depending on the grade and customer requirements.
- Storage: Store in a cool, dry place, away from direct sunlight and moisture, in tightly sealed original containers.
- Shelf Life: When stored under recommended conditions, MCC maintains its quality and efficacy for an extended period, typically 2-3 years from the date of manufacture.
Why Choose Our MCC?
We provide high-quality Microcrystalline Cellulose, backed by rigorous quality control and technical expertise. Our commitment to consistency, purity, and performance ensures that your formulations achieve optimal results, reducing development time and enhancing product reliability. Partner with us for a dependable supply of MCC that meets the highest industry standards and elevates your product's potential.
Contact us today to discuss your specific MCC requirements and request a sample!