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The chance of getting through the day without seeing melamine is zero   Melamine is  everywhere. It is present in a number of products we use and see in our every day life. We do not literally 'see' the raw material, because once it has been used to create an end product, it no longer exists in its original physical form - a white powder.  Melamine is an invisible super binder that turns wood, paper, textile and other materials into strong, durable and stylish products. Furniture, tableware, floors, cars, banknotes, beverage cans and construction panels are just some examples of where we see melamine. But the story does not end here. In the Melamine Special you can read about the role that melamine plays in the rising global demand for wood and its importance to architects, product designers and to us as consumers.			​
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​History​   Melamine was invented by the German scientist Justus von Liebig in the 1830s who also developed a nitrogen based fertilizer. These two inventions still impact the lives of billions of people today, contributing to sustainable food production and the development of sustainable products. OCI Nitrogen's melamine was first produced fifty years ago with the introduction of a new, groundbreaking, urea-based technology. This was the beginning of a successful journey which is ongoing today.  For decades the world of melamine and its end products has been in a continuous state of flux and we expect this trend to go on in the future.

 

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Two key reasons to use melamine   Melamine molecules have strong crosslinking properties and bond securely with other molecules to form resins. Pressure and heat transform the melamine-based resins into very rigid solid structures that are durable, scratchproof, chemical-resistant and water-repellent.     Melamine is non-flammable and can help prevent or retard fire.

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