Melamine powder is widely used in the wood processing industry, including melamine-impregnated film paper, wood adhesives, coatings, and flame retardants, as well as in paper, textile, leather, electrical, pharmaceutical, and other industries. At present, in the downstream industrial structure of melamine worldwide, the wood processing industry accounts for a large share, mainly comprising melamine-impregnated film paper and adhesives.
Melamine, as an organic compound with high nitrogen content, has excellent thermal stability, chemical corrosion resistance, and bonding properties. From surface finishing to structural reinforcement, melamine use in the wood processing industry spans multiple key processes, addressing core pain points such as poor wear resistance, susceptibility to moisture damage, and limited aesthetic options for wood materials.
Excellent durability: After melamine curing, a crosslinked polymer structure is formed, and the surface pencil hardness can reach 2-3H, far exceeding the ≤ 1H hardness of natural wood. This gives wooden products excellent scratch, impact, and wear resistance.
Excellent water and moisture resistance: After curing, melamine becomes hydrophobic, helping prevent moisture from penetrating the wood’s interior and reducing the risk of wood expansion, deformation, and decay. Wood products treated with melamine can maintain dimensional stability in high-humidity environments such as kitchens and bathrooms.
Good chemical corrosion resistance: The melamine-coated wood surface can withstand typical household and industrial chemicals, including detergents, solvents, and food stains, which is crucial for applications such as cabinets and laboratory furniture.
Diversified aesthetic effects:Melamine can be combined with various pigments, patterns, and texture formulas to simulate the textures of natural materials such as oak, walnut, or marble, or to create customized patterns. This flexibility not only eliminates the cost of using expensive natural wood veneer but also greatly enriches the product’s aesthetic options.
High cost-effectiveness: Compared with high-end solid wood or rare veneer, melamine-based wood products have comparable or even better performance while significantly reducing costs, making them suitable for large-scale production.
Melamine formaldehyde resin is commonly used in melamine impregnated paper, which offers high transparency and good waterproofing, as well as wear and scratch resistance after curing.
Melamine impregnated adhesive film paper is a type of adhesive film paper made from plain colored base paper or printed decorative paper that has been impregnated, coated with amino resin, and dried to a certain degree, with a specific resin content and volatile content. It can be bonded to itself or to artificial board substrates by hot pressing.
Core advantage: Melamine veneer artificial board combines the cost-effectiveness of artificial board with the durability and aesthetics of melamine. It has the characteristics of light weight and easy processing (cutting, drilling, edge sealing), without the need for additional coating or finishing treatment.
End use: Widely used in cabinet bodies, wardrobe panels, office furniture (desks, filing cabinets), supermarket display shelves, and interior decorative wall panels. Benefiting from the growing demand in the furniture and construction industries, the global melamine veneer artificial board market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of 5.2% between 2024 and 2030.
Process flow: Dip decorative paper (printed with wood grain or a solid color) into liquid melamine resin, then dry.
Pressing: Heat-melt impregnated paper onto a wooden substrate (such as particleboard) under high temperature and pressure.
Result: The melamine resin melted and solidified, forming a hard, transparent, and permanent sealing layer on the pattern’s surface. This does not require painting or polishing to achieve a consistent finishing effect.
With the continuous development of human society, wood resources are becoming increasingly scarce. To meet the growing demand for wood products, melamine impregnated film paper is increasingly used as a surface decorative material in various board finishes, such as impregnated film paper veneer plywood, impregnated film paper veneer particleboard, impregnated film paper veneer fiberboard, impregnated film paper veneer particleboard, impregnated paper laminated wood flooring (reinforced wood flooring), and thermosetting resin impregnated paper high-pressure decorative laminated board (HPL).
In terms of the melamine impregnated film paper industry chain, impregnated film paper is an intermediate product in the furniture manufacturing process, with upstream industries including wood harvesting, processing of wood pulp, titanium dioxide, melamine, formaldehyde and other raw materials; The midstream mainly consists of production and processing enterprises for decorative base paper, printing decorative paper, and impregnated film paper.
The adhesives used in China’s artificial board industry are mainly divided into formaldehyde-based adhesives and formaldehyde-free adhesives, among which formaldehyde-based adhesives include urea formaldehyde resin adhesives, phenolic resin adhesives, and melamine formaldehyde resin adhesives.
Melamine is a primary raw material for formaldehyde-based adhesives.
Melamine, as a wood adhesive, can significantly reduce the free formaldehyde content in the adhesive solution and improve the bonding strength, water resistance, and heat resistance of urea formaldehyde resin adhesives. In addition, melamine is alkaline and can neutralize the acid in the adhesive layer during later storage, thereby reducing the resin’s hydrolysis rate. This also improves the storage stability of urea formaldehyde resin adhesive to a certain extent. Melamine is currently the most widely used unit co-polymerization modifier in actual production.
However, due to the high price of melamine, melamine-modified urea-formaldehyde resin adhesives are mainly used in artificial board products with high requirements for environmental protection, bonding performance, water resistance, and heat resistance, such as ENF-grade boards, water-resistant plywood, moisture-proof particleboard, and integrated materials.
Melamine formaldehyde resin adhesive has a fast curing rate, high hardness, excellent water, weather, and wear resistance, and high-temperature resistance; its disadvantages are poor flexibility, easy brittleness, poor storage stability, and high cost. Currently, it is mainly used for structural materials.
In addition to veneer technology, melamine can also be used as a key component in wood coatings (paints, varnishes) to enhance coating performance and wood durability:
Coating formula: By combining melamine resin with alkyd, acrylic, or polyurethane resin, a high-gloss, scratch-resistant coating can be formulated. Melamine acts as a crosslinking agent, enhancing the coating’s hardness and adhesion to the wood surface.
Application scenarios: Surface coating of high-end furniture, musical instruments, wooden flooring, and wooden doors. Melamine-based coatings can be applied by spraying, brushing, or rolling and cured at room temperature or at low temperature (80-100 ℃).
Performance advantages: The coating surface has excellent wear resistance. According to ASTM D4060 standard testing, the wear resistance can exceed 400 times that of the base material. At the same time, it has good stain and UV resistance, helping prevent wood from fading from sun exposure.
The flammability of wood limits its use in high fire-prevention scenarios, such as commercial buildings and public transportation. Melamine has a nitrogen content of about 66% and is an efficient wood flame retardant:
Flame-retardant mechanism: When exposed to high-temperature environments, melamine decomposes, releasing noncombustible nitrogen gas. Nitrogen can dilute oxygen concentration and suppress flame spread. Meanwhile, after melamine decomposition, a carbonized layer will form on the wood’s surface, serving as a barrier to prevent heat and oxygen from penetrating.
Application scenario: Used for producing flame-retardant wooden wall panels, ceilings, and interior panels for railway passenger cars. Melamine is usually applied as a surface coating or mixed with wood fibers during the production of composite panels.
The application of melamine in the wood processing industry is developing towards sustainability, high performance, and innovation to meet the growing market demand. The main trends include:
Formaldehyde-free melamine resin: With tightening environmental regulations and increasing consumer demand for green products, research and development of formaldehyde-free melamine-based resins (such as melamine epoxy resins) is accelerating.
High-performance modified melamine: A modified melamine resin with enhanced flexibility, heat resistance, and UV stability is currently under development and will expand its application in specialized scenarios, such as outdoor furniture and high-temperature environments.
Melamine-faced artificial board digital printing: With advances in digital printing technology, high-resolution, customized pattern printing can be achieved on melamine-impregnated paper, enriching product aesthetics while reducing production costs.
Recyclable melamine wood composite materials: The industry is committed to developing recyclable melamine wood composite panels to address waste disposal challenges posed by traditional wooden products.
Integration with innovative materials: Combining melamine-based wooden products with smart materials, such as sensors and conductive coatings, for applications in smart homes and commercial buildings, including humidity-monitoring wall panels and anti-theft furniture.
The application of melamine in the wood processing industry has completely transformed the production of wooden products, driving the development of durable, economical, and aesthetically pleasing wooden materials. From melamine veneer artificial boards to high-performance adhesives, flame retardants, and preservatives, melamine effectively addresses the industry’s core pain points and expands the application boundaries of wooden products.
To fully utilize the application value of melamine, wood processing practitioners need to pay attention to resin quality control, substrate pretreatment, and compliance with environmental standards. As the industry develops towards higher durability standards and lower emissions, the role of melamine as a key additive in wood adhesives and laminates will only continue to grow.
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