Thickening rheology modifiers ua haujlwm feem ntau los ntawm kev sib koom ua ke ntawm cov saw hlau molecular nrog pawg hydrophilic thiab hydrophobic; Thaum ntxiv rau cov dej-raws li emulsions, lawv tsim ib lub network spatial uas ua rau kom lub cev viscosity thiab hloov cov yam ntxwv ntws. Txawm hais tias muaj ntau hom kev hloov pauv sib txawv hauv cov qauv molecular, lawv cov qauv tsim feem ntau tsom rau kev txhawb kev sib cuam tshuam zoo ntawm cov polymer thiab cov theem aqueous, emulsion hais, thiab lwm yam khoom.
Feem ntau cellulose-raws li thickeners feem ntau yog muab los ntawm ntuj cellulose; Kev hloov kho tshuaj qhia txog cov pab pawg hydrophilic-xws li hydroxyl lossis ether pawg- mus rau cellulose molecular chains, ua rau lawv tawg thiab swell hauv dej. Cov chains ntev molecular no entangle thaum tawg los yog dispersion, tsim ib tug spatial qauv uas txwv tsis pub txav ntawm dej molecules nyob rau hauv lub system, yog li ua tau ib tug thickening nyhuv. Yam ntxwv los ntawm cov qauv yooj yim thiab muaj zog aqueous-theem thickening peev xwm, lawv nquag siv hauv cov tshuab xws li dej-raws li txheej thiab nplaum.
Alkali-swellable thickeners feem ntau cia siab rau cov saw hlau polymer uas muaj cov pab pawg ua haujlwm zoo li carboxylic acids. Kho cov txheej txheem pH ua rau cov pab pawg no ua rau ionize, ua rau cov saw hlau polymer maj mam txuas ntxiv thiab o los ntawm kev nqus dej. Thaum tag nrho txuas ntxiv, cov saw hlau polymer tuav lub ntim tseem ceeb hauv cov theem aqueous, yog li ua rau lub cev muaj kuab lom. Tus tsim ntawm cov thickeners no tsom rau kev tswj tsis tau xws li hydrophilicity, qib ntawm cross-linking, thiab molecular hnyav los xyuas kom meej cov thickening nyhuv nyob rau hauv qhov tsim nyog pH.