TECHNOLOGY FOCUS - POLYMERS - Preparation (Claimed): Preparation of the nonionic cellulose ether, comprises: either first reacting hydroxyethyl cellulose with an alkali metal hydroxide at a mole ratio of alkali metal hydroxide to cellulose of 0.2-1.5, and then with a hydrophobe-containing reagent; or (a) reacting cellulose with an alkali metal hydroxide at a mole ratio of alkali metal hydroxide to cellulose of 0.2-2 to prepare alkali cellulose, (b) alkylating the alkali cellulose with ethylene oxide, and (c) reacting with a hydrophobe-containing reagent after adjusting the mole ratio of alkali metal hydroxide to cellulose of 0.1-1 Preferred Method: The reaction with an alkylating agent, and the hydrophobe-containing reagent is conducted in aqueous isopropyl alcohol. Preferred Components: The nonionic cellulose ether has: a weight average molecular weight of at least 1000000 (preferably at least 1300000); a Brookfield viscosity of at least 5000 (preferably at least 6000) mPa.second, measured as 1% aqueous solution at 30 revolutions per minute (rpm), spindle 4 at 25 degrees C; a retained dynamic viscosity of at least 30% (preferably at least 35%); a storage modulus of at least 15 (preferably at least 21) Pa at 25 degrees C and a retained storage modulus of at least 12% (preferably at least 15%); a critical association concentration of less than 15 ppm as measured by light-scattering; and a hydroxyethyl molar substitution of 1.5-3.5 and being further substituted with one or more hydrophobic substituents. The hydrophobic substituents are optionally cyclic, optionally saturated, branched or linear hydrocarbon groups having at least 8C and the average level of substitution with the hydrophobic substituents is 0.0003-0.0200 moles per mole of anhydroglucose unit. EXAMPLE - Isopropyl alcohol (173 g), Cellosize HEC QP-30000H (RTM: Hydroxyethyl cellulose) (33.28 g), and distilled water (27 g) were charged in a resin kettle (500 ml). While stirring the mixture, the resin kettle was purged with nitrogen for 1 hour to remove any entrained oxygen in the system. While stirring under nitrogen, 50% aqueous sodium hydroxide solution (4 g) was added dropwise over 5 minutes using a syringe. Then, the mixture was allowed to stir for 30 minutes under nitrogen. A solution of 1-bromohexadecane (4 g) in isopropyl alcohol (10 ml) was added by syringe to the mixture under nitrogen (0.11 moles of 1-bromohexadecane per mole of hydroxyethyl cellulose). The mixture was stirred and heated at reflux for 4.5 hours under nitrogen. The mixture was cooled to room temperature, neutralized by adding glacial acetic acid (5 g), stirred for 10 minutes and worked up to afford nonionic cellulose ether.