The melamine door skin is an organic compound with the formula C3H6N6. This white solid is a trimer of cyanamide, with a 1,3,5-triazine skeleton. Like cyanamide, it contains 67% nitrogen by mass, and its derivatives have fire retardant properties due to its release of nitrogen gas when burned or charred. Melamine can be combined with formaldehyde and other agents to produce melamine resins. Such resins are characteristically durable thermosetting plastic used in high-pressure decorative laminates such as Formica, melamine dinnerware, laminate flooring, and dry-erase boards. Melamine foam is used as insulation, soundproofing material, and in polymeric cleaning products, such as Magic Eraser.
Melamine is sometimes illegally added to food products in order to increase the apparent protein content. Ingestion of melamine may lead to reproductive damage, or bladder or kidney stones, and bladder cancer. It is also an irritant when inhaled or in contact with the skin or eyes. The United Nations’ food standards body, the Codex Alimentations Commission, has set the maximum amount of melamine allowed in powdered infant formula to 1 mg/kg and the amount of the chemical allowed in other foods and animal feed to 2.5 mg/kg. While not legally binding, the levels allow countries to ban the importation of products with excessive levels of melamine.
One large-scale application, melamine is combined with formaldehyde and other agents to produce melamine resins. Such resins are characteristically durable thermosetting plastic used in high-pressure decorative laminates such as Formica, melamine dinnerware, laminate flooring, and dry erase board
Melamine foam is used as insulation, soundproofing material, and in polymeric cleaning products, such as Magic Eraser.
Melamine is one of the major components in Pigment Yellow 150, a colorant in inks and plastics.
Melamine door skin also enters the fabrication of melamine polysulfone, used as a superplasticizer for making high-resistance concrete. Sulfonated melamine formaldehyde (SMF) is a polymer used as a cement admixture to reduce the water content in concrete while increasing the fluidity and the workability of the mix during handling and pouring. It results in concrete with a lower porosity and a higher mechanical strength, exhibiting improved resistance to aggressive environments and a longer lifetime.
The use of melamine as fertilizer for crops had been envisioned during the 1950s and 1960s because of its high nitrogen However, melamine is much more expensive to produce than other common nitrogen fertilizers, such as urea. The mineralization (degradation to ammonia) for melamine is slow, making this product both economically and scientifically impractical for use as a fertilizer.
