Melamine imparts durability to urea-formaldehyde (UF) resin wood adhesion by resisting the hydrolysis of water in the liquid and vapor phases. While curing of UF resins is very fast, they are susceptible to reverse chemical reactions; melamine is generally able to resist this reversible reaction and forms a more permanent bond. Demand for melamine has grown recently, in part, due to the increased demand for durable, medium density fiber-board (MDF) in Europe and other parts of the world. This growth has prompted Borden to acquire Melamine Chemical, Inc., one of the world's few melamine producers. Our worldwide technical network has incorporated this melamine technology into a line of moisture-resistant composite board-resin systems. Australian wood composite manufacturers have long been concerned with producing durable products. This concern may have originally been in response to the humid conditions experienced in the semitropical regions and rain on open construction sites, but was also adapted to address wet areas of houses such as bathrooms, kitchens, and floors. Melamine urea-formaldehyde (MUF) and melamine urea phenol formaldehyde (MUPF) resins were able to provide the necessary durability to achieve the old "Glue Bond Durability" standard. The standard is a retained two-hour boil modulus of rupture (MOR), and the more stringent three-day boiled MOR for particleboard flooring. Recent changes to the European-like V313 standard required resins with different properties to resist the soak/ freeze/drying cycles. A lower melamine containing resin (9-17%) can be used at higher total resin loading with a more efficient UF component to accomplish this result. Even low amounts of melamine improve the bond durability of UF resins. Especially low formaldehyde containing resins (E0) can benefit from melamine's resistance to hydrolysis.
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