CMC (carboxymethylcellulose) is a water-soluble polymer derived from cellulose, widely used in different fields of the industrial production, such as the food industry where it is used as a thickener and stabilizer.

Even in Ceramics, CMC play several roles within suspensions and solutions. They are marked by features that can be different from time to time.

For this reason, when they are added to glaze suspensions it is very important to choose them according to the features of the glaze involved in the production process.

For example, in case of a very plastic glaze (intrinsically marked by high cohesion and viscosity values), a low-viscosity CMC or a lower dosage is recommended.

On the other hand, a low-plastic glaze (that is poor in clay) would require CMC with a higher viscosity value to ensure a good cohesion and a proper drying process on the tile.

In general, both the selected CMC and the dosage can affect the drainage as well as the evaporation times of the water of the glaze suspension. This is the reason why the temperature of the ceramic support on which the glaze is discharged (operating temperature) is a very important parameter that must be considered when choosing the CMC.