Reviewed by KARN Textile Chemicals product team Updated October 2026
What is carboxymethyl starch
Carboxymethyl starch is a starch based material modified with carboxymethyl groups and commonly abbreviated as CMS For textile printing buyers the useful starting point is the grade identity KARN supplies a verified textile range based on tapioca and potato raw material routes Product suitability is not determined by the CMS name alone and must be confirmed against the printing process fabric recipe preferred form target viscosity and current technical data
Names and synonyms this material is bought under
The same material appears under several names Carboxymethyl starch and CMS are the short forms Sodium carboxymethyl starch is the full salt name used on specifications packing lists and customs documents Tapioca starch and potato starch describe the raw material route behind K6 K5 and K9 In a printing recipe the product family is described by function as a textile printing thickener that sets the viscosity of the printing paste All of these names lead to the same KARN technical evaluation path
Which KARN CMS grades are verified
The formal textile grade lineup contains three products and every grade can be requested in powder or flake form
| Grade | Description | Degree of substitution |
|---|---|---|
| K6 | High viscosity tapioca CMS | DS 0.4 |
| K5 | Standard tapioca CMS | DS 0.3 |
| K9 | Potato CMS | DS 0.4 |
Which textile printing processes can be evaluated
KARN accepts grade evaluation enquiries for four textile printing process groups Each enquiry remains subject to sample testing and the current TDS
What should a buyer provide before grade selection
A useful technical enquiry connects the material request to the actual print trial Share the following information so the product team can prepare the right comparison and sample path
- Printing process
- Fabric and recipe context
- Preferred powder or flake form
- Target viscosity
- Current material challenge
Which information requires the current TDS
Published numerical viscosity values apply only to the named K5 K6 and K9 flake grades Published pH and instant soluble information applies only to K6 flake Powder specifications packing and grade specific process suitability require the current KARN TDS and a representative sample before a production decision A supplier DS value should state the analytical method used because several methods are available for carboxymethyl starch
Independent research context
These public studies are background on carboxymethyl starch preparation substitution measurement and textile printing paste behaviour They did not test KARN K5 K6 or K9 and do not establish suitability for any specific printing process
- Preparation and Characterization of Carboxymethyl Starch CMS Products and Their Utilization in Textile PrintingRagheb El Sayiad Hebeish Starch Starke 1997 volume 49 issue 6 pages 238 to 245Read the DOI record
The study carboxymethylated starch and oxidized starch samples under identical conditions and compared the resulting CMS pastes with commercial CMS and sodium alginate as thickeners for disperse printing on polyester fabric It reported pseudoplastic paste behaviour and colour strength comparable with the conventional thickeners It did not test KARN grades or a KARN production recipe
- A Comparison of Some Methods for the Determination of the Degree of Substitution of Carboxymethyl StarchStojanović Jeremić Jovanović Lechner Starch Stärke 2005 volume 57 issue 2 pages 79 to 83Read the DOI record
The study compares several analytical methods for determining the degree of substitution of carboxymethyl starch It did not test KARN K5 K6 or K9 and does not establish a grade specification or printing suitability
CMS flake viscosity range checker Compare K6 K5 and K9 Request a sample or TDS