Melamine Foam: What You Need to Know

Melamine foam was developed in the 1990s and has become a very popular option for effective protection against sound and heat. This type of foam is not just highly effective but environmentally sound too – and can be processed into a broad spectrum of different products that meet the application of many industries. You will find melamine foam everywhere today, from high tech applications, such as aerospace, to home decoration and household appliances.

What is Melamine Foam made of?

It is formed from melamine resin through a specific process and has a unique chemical and physical stability. It has great qualities, for example melamine foam won’t age or decompose and it has high levels of sanitation. Because of the way melamine foam is made – and what it is made of – it can help with everything, from heat insulation to sound absorption. Melamine foam is a high density foam with a cross linked structure and it performs well in many ways, from tear strength to flame retardancy. It is environmentally friendly and is incredibly versatile because it can be processed in such a range of different ways, including conventional die cutting and as a composite with third party materials.

Features of melamine foam

• Sound absorption. Because this type of foam has an open cell surface, it guarantees that sound waves are not reflected, which means it has high sound absorption properties. Instead, sound waves penetrate the foam where they are reduced.
• Constant properties. This type of foam has the ability to retain all its properties over a wide temperature range. It will retain this on a temperature scale from -200c to 240c.
• Fire resistance. Melamine foam meets all the required standards for fire resistance and is long-term resistant to high temperatures. It has a high nitrogen content, which is what makes it so naturally flame-resistant. In the event of a fire, melamine foam won’t melt or produce burning droplets – instead it simply chars and creates a minimal amount of smoke.
• Thermal insulation. Melamine foam is often used with hot water tanks and solar water heaters, as it has low thermal conductivity and is ideal for thermal insulation.
• Chemical resistance. Because the foam has a highly cross-linked structure it is resistant to a wide range of chemicals and organic solvents. This is something that will need to be checked with respect to individual acids and alkalis, as well as in actual application conditions, as factors such as temperature and exposure time can affect stability.
• Abrasiveness. Although the cell structure in melamine foam is as hard as glass, it is flexible too. It also has a mild abrasiveness that means it can be used as a soft sandpaper.

Where are you likely to find melamine foam?

Across multiple industries, including military, aviation, electronics, theatres, educational venues, express roads, home decoration, cleaning products and household appliances.

Melamine foam is incredibly versatile and has lots of attractive properties that ensure it can have many different uses. That’s why it has such broad application and is often a great alternative for more traditional materials.

Learn more about Kewell Converters Foam Materials or contact our team of foam experts to discuss your foam requirements.