Curing of low level melamine‐modified urea‐formaldehyde particleboard binder resins studied with dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA)

Abstract

Abstract Effects of resin formulation, catalyst, and curing temperature were studied for particleboard binder‐type urea‐formaldehyde (UF) and 6 ∼ 12% melamine‐modified urea‐melamine‐formaldehyde (UMF) resins using the dynamic mechanical analysis method at 125 ∼ 160°C. In general, the UF and UMF resins gelled and, after a relatively long low modulus period, rapidly vitrified. The gel times shortened as the catalyst level and resin mix time increased. The cure slope of the vitrification stage decreased as the catalyst mix time increased, perhaps because of the deleterious effects of polymer advancements incurred before curing. For UMF resins, the higher extent of polymerization effected for UF base resin in resin synthesis increased the cure slope of vitrification. The cure times taken to reach the vitrification were longer for UMF resins than UF resins and increased with increased melamine levels. The thermal stability and rigidity of cured UMF resins were higher than those of UF resins and also higher for resins with higher melamine levels, to indicate the possibility of bonding particleboard with improved bond strength and lower formaldehyde emission. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 377–389, 2005