Terminology

• Melamine-formaldehyde: hard thermoset from melamine and formaldehyde
• Butylated melamine: dissolved in n-butanol and xylene, cross-linked with alkyd, epoxy, acrylic, or polyester resins for coatings
• Melamine foam: open foam used for insulation and sound absorption

History and demand

Sourcing

• 2024 world melamine production was about 1.1 million tons; China made about 603,000 tons, 56 percent (IndexBox)

Composition and production

Raw materials

• Formaldehyde condenses with melamine to the hexahydroxymethyl derivative; heating with acid drives cross-linking

Manufacturing process

• Powder pressed in a mold under high pressure until it hardens

Properties

Physical

• Light weight, resistant to breaking; scratches and stains easily; sheets chip when cut with conventional table saws

Health

• Formaldehyde is more tightly bound than in urea-formaldehyde, which somewhat reduces emissions

Uses in buildings

Building elements

• Cabinetry and Casework: melamine-saturated paper pressed onto particleboard
• Acoustics: melamine foam for insulation and soundproofing
• Main constituent of high-pressure laminates such as Formica and Arborite, and of laminate flooring

Pros and cons

Pros

• Hard, break-resistant surface
• Bound formaldehyde emits less than urea-formaldehyde

Cons

• Scratches and stains easily
• Chips when cut with conventional table saws

Manufacturing and cost

Main manufacturers and suppliers

• Wilsonart
• Formica

Sources

• Wikipedia: Melamine resin, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Melamine_resin
• Wikimedia Commons: Melamine resin cookwares.jpg, photo by Vis M (CC BY-SA 4.0), https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Melamine_resin_cookwares.jpg
• IndexBox: melamine world market overview 2024, https://www.indexbox.io/blog/melamine-world-market-overview-2024-3/