TECHNICAL EXPLAINER

What is carboxymethyl starch for textile printing

Carboxymethyl starch also called CMS is a modified starch material used in textile printing evaluations where paste behavior raw material route and print process requirements must be considered together

Reviewed by KARN Textile Chemicals product team Updated July 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

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

Which KARN CMS grades are verified
GradeDescriptionDegree of substitution
K6High viscosity tapioca CMSDS 0.4
K5Standard tapioca CMSDS 0.3
K9Potato CMSDS 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

  • Discharge printing
  • Burn out printing
  • Disperse printing
  • Reactive printing

Review printing applications

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

  1. Printing process
  2. Fabric and recipe context
  3. Preferred powder or flake form
  4. Target viscosity
  5. Current material challenge

Which information requires the current TDS

Exact viscosity values pH packing and grade specific process suitability are not published as universal claims on this website Confirm these points with the current KARN TDS and a representative sample before a production decision

Compare K6 K5 and K9 Request a sample or TDS