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Raw materials for tile adhesive and wall putty
This page lists what goes into a cementitious tile adhesive and a wall putty, what each raw material does, and typical starting doses. Al Reed Commercial Company supplies the performance additives, cellulose ethers and redispersible polymer powders, to manufacturers in Saudi Arabia and the GCC from stock in the Kingdom.
- What we supply
- SE Tylose and Raycell cellulose ethers (HPMC and HEMC) and Polyplast redispersible polymer powders.
- Where it ships from
- Stock held in Saudi Arabia, delivered across the Kingdom and to Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar and the UAE.
- Documents
- Certificate of analysis with every batch. TDS and SDS on request.
- How to start
- Share your target class (C1, C2TE, S1) or putty type and monthly volume for a grade recommendation and samples.
Tile adhesive raw material list
| Raw material | Role |
|---|---|
| Portland cement, grey or white | Binder. Usually 30 to 40% of the dry mix. |
| Graded silica sand or calcium carbonate | Filler. Controls bed build, water demand and cost. |
| Cellulose ether (HPMC or HEMC) | Water retention, open time, workability and sag resistance. |
| Redispersible polymer powder (RDP) | Adhesion to dense tiles, flexibility and heat ageing performance. |
| Starch ether (optional) | Extra slip resistance for wall tiles and large formats. |
| Calcium formate (optional) | Set acceleration, mainly for cool weather or fast-set products. |
| Fibres and defoamer (optional) | Crack control and air content control. |
A starting formulation for C2TE
The figures below are an illustrative starting point for lab work, per 100 parts of dry mix. They are not a validated formula and must be tested to EN 12004 with your own cement and sand.
| Component | Parts |
|---|---|
| Grey Portland cement | 35 to 40 |
| Silica sand, 0.1 to 0.5 mm | 55 to 60 |
| HEMC or HPMC, high viscosity | 0.3 to 0.45 |
| VAE redispersible polymer powder | 2 to 3 |
| Starch ether | 0.03 to 0.05 |
| Calcium formate | 0 to 0.5 |
For a basic C1 adhesive, the RDP usually drops to 0 to 1.5 and the cellulose ether to 0.2 to 0.35. For a deformable S1 adhesive, RDP rises to roughly 4 to 7.
Wall putty raw material list
Cement based wall putty is mostly white cement and fine calcium carbonate, with a cellulose ether for water retention and smooth trowelling. Exterior and flexible putties add RDP for adhesion and crack resistance, and a hydrophobic agent where water repellency is needed. Gypsum based putties replace the cement with gypsum and usually need a retarder.
| Raw material | Typical share of dry mix |
|---|---|
| White cement | 20 to 35% |
| Fine calcium carbonate | 60 to 75% |
| HPMC or HEMC | 0.2 to 0.5% |
| RDP (exterior or flexible putty) | 1 to 3% |
| Hydrophobic agent (optional) | 0.1 to 0.3% |
What changes in the Gulf climate
Heat is the main enemy. Hot substrates and dry wind shorten open time and pull water out of thin beds. Formulators in Saudi Arabia usually lean on higher water retention cellulose ethers, often HEMC, and on enough RDP to pass heat ageing. Summer and winter versions of the same product are common. Test adhesion after heat ageing, not only after dry storage.
Sourcing the additives
The additive package is a small share of the bag by weight but decides whether the product passes its class. We hold SE Tylose and Raycell cellulose ethers and Polyplast RDP in Saudi Arabia and support lab comparisons against your current grades. For other additives on the list, send us your grades and volumes and we will quote where we can.
Frequently asked questions
What are the raw materials for tile adhesive?
A cementitious tile adhesive is made from Portland cement, graded silica sand or calcium carbonate filler, a cellulose ether such as HPMC or HEMC, and redispersible polymer powder. Optional additives include starch ether for slip resistance, calcium formate as an accelerator, fibres and defoamer.
What are the raw materials for wall putty?
Cement based wall putty uses white cement, fine calcium carbonate and a cellulose ether (HPMC or HEMC). Exterior and flexible putties add redispersible polymer powder and sometimes a hydrophobic agent.
How much HPMC is used in tile adhesive?
Typical starting doses are 0.2 to 0.35% of the dry mix for C1 adhesives and 0.3 to 0.45% for C2TE adhesives. Confirm by testing to EN 12004.
Who supplies tile adhesive raw materials in Saudi Arabia?
Al Reed Commercial Company in Jeddah supplies cellulose ethers (SE Tylose and Raycell) and Polyplast redispersible polymer powder to tile adhesive and wall putty manufacturers from stock in Saudi Arabia, with delivery across the GCC. Contact rayyan@alreedco.com or WhatsApp +966 54 129 0552.
Samples, TDS and a quote
Tell us your application, current grade and monthly volume. We reply the same business day and send samples for a side by side lab test.
المواد الخام للاصق البلاط والمعجون
يتكوّن لاصق البلاط الأسمنتي من الأسمنت والرمل أو كربونات الكالسيوم، مع إيثر السليلوز (HPMC أو HEMC) ومسحوق البوليمر RDP. توفّر شركة الريد التجارية هذه الإضافات من مخزون داخل المملكة لمصانع لاصق البلاط والمعجون في السعودية ودول الخليج، مع عينات ونشرات فنية عند الطلب.
Related guides
Dosage figures on this page are typical starting points drawn from common industry practice. They are not a validated formula. Confirm every formulation by laboratory testing to the relevant standard. Updated 2026-09-28.