Microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) is derived from naturally occurring cellulose similarto that found in fruits and vegetables. From this natural source, FMC BioPolymer develops and customizes Avicel products, through various unique co-processing techniques. These help us standardize products tomeet specific viscosity, gelling, suspension and stabilizing properties.

The raw material for Avicel is purified plant fiber, or alpha cellulose, and it is composed of millions of microfibrils. Each microfibril is composedof two areas ( Figure 1 ).

During processing, the fibrous material is hydrolyzed (depolymerized) toremove the amorphous regions, leaving only the crystalline bundles. The resulting cellulose gel can be processed by two methods, to produc eeither Avicel powdered or Avicel colloidal MCC ( Figure 2 ).