Effects of Storage Time on Molecular Weights and Properties of Melamine-Urea-Formaldehyde Resins

As the properties of the melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF) resins were changing during their storage time, this study investigated the impacts of the synthesis method and melamine content of the MUF resins on the pH, apparent viscosity, molecular weights, and crystallinity to estimate these properties over storage times of up to 30 days. Melaminesat three addition levels (5, 10, and 20 wt% based on the resin solids) were simultaneously reacted with urea and formaldehyde (MUF-A resins), while those at the same addition levels were first reacted with formaldehyde and then with urea(MUF-B resins). The pH values of the MUF-A and MUF-B resins decreased linearly as the storage time increased; the apparent viscosity increased linearly for the low melamine contents (5% and 10%) but increased exponentially for 20%. As anticipated, the molecular weights (Mw and Mn) increased linearly with the storage time, with a steeper increase in the Mw of the MUF-B resins compared with that of the MUF-A resins. The crystallinity of the two resin types decreased with storage time at higher melamine content. The relationships between these properties and the storage time made it possible to estimate the property changes in these resins synthesized by the different synthesis methods and melamine contents; this could help predict the properties of such resins in the industry during their storage.