Glue and binder
Methyl cellulose can be employed as a mild glue which can be washed away with water. This may be used in the fixing of delicate pieces of art as well as in book conservation to loosen and clean off old glue from spines and bookboards. Methyl cellulose is the main ingredient in many wallpaper pastes. It is also used as a binder in pastel crayons and also as a binder in medications. Hydroxypropyl methylcellulose (HPMC) is an FDA-approved water-soluble adhesive, has been used in various wet-adhesion applications in construction products, paints, and drug delivery for 70 years.HPMC adheres strongly to all wet surfaces, regardless of hydrophobicity. Paint
Methyl cellulose is used as a rheological modifier in paint to prevent sagging. Paper and textile sizing
Methyl cellulose is used as sizing in the production of papers and textiles as it protects the fibers from absorbing water or oil. When applied to several pieces of paper, methyl cellulose will bind the layers together, often to create a more durable or multicolored sheet. In addition, origami artists use it to coat their origami models, as the compound will stiffen and protect the paper against time. Dust control
Hydroxypropyl methyl cellulose (HPMC) and hydroxyethyl methyl cellulose (HEMC) is used as a binder in dust control technologies. They mitigate fugitive dust released from arid/semi-arid area as well as improve commercial face mask when used as a filtering material. Cell culture
Methyl cellulose is also used in cell culture to study viral replication.
Chemistry
It is a hydrophilic white powder in pure form and dissolves in cold (but not in hot) water, forming a clear viscous solution or gel. Methyl cellulose is used as a buffer additive in capillary electrophoresis to control electroosmotic flow for improved separations. Special effects
The slimy, gooey appearance of an appropriate preparation of methyl cellulose with water, in addition to its nontoxic, nonallergenic, and edible properties, makes it popular for use in special effects for motion pictures and television wherever vile slimes must be simulated. In the film Ghostbusters, the gooey substance the supernatural entities used to "slime" the Ghostbusters was mostly a thick water solution of methyl cellulose. The Aliens ooze and drip a great deal of methyl cellulose—especially the queen.Methyl cellulose has been used to safely simulate molten materials, as well. In several of the Terminator films, it was back-lit with colored gels and films to reproduce the heated glow of iron in the large pouring ladles used to transport the metal from the smelting ovens to the various molds and forms. Methyl cellulose was also a stand-in for the lava flows in Los Angeles in Volcano and on the volcanic surface of Mustafar, in Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith. Chemistry
Methyl cellulose does not occur naturally and is synthetically produced by heating cellulose with caustic solution (e.g. a solution of sodium hydroxide) and treating it with methyl chloride. In the substitution reaction that follows, the hydroxyl residues (-OH functional groups) are replaced by methoxide (-OCH3 groups).