Handbook of Thermosetting Foams, Aerogels, and Hydrogels: From Fundamentals to Advanced Applications

Abstract

Melamine formaldehyde are hard, versatile, and very durable thermosets possessing excellent fire and heat resistance. They are made in a condensation reaction by reacting to formaldehyde and melamine. Their fire retardance is mainly as a result of releasing nitrogen gas when burned. In recent years there has been great interest in materials synthesized from melamine-formaldehyde (MF) polymers such as hydrogels, foams, and aerogels due to improved properties like mechanical strength, resistant to moisture attack, better aesthetics (they are clear compared to phenolic-based foams), etc. These materials represent a new class of intelligent materials that can respond to external stimuli, for instance, temperature, pressure, light, stress, pH, magnetic, or biochemical, and thus have a wide range of applications including biomedical, energy storage, water purification, effective adhesives, etc. Recent advances and huge applications of melamine-formaldehyde based foams, aerogels and hydrogels attracted many researchers and provided a cutting-edge resource for materials scientist, polymer and organic chemists and biotechnologists working in different interdisciplinary fields. Thus, the chapter discusses the synthesis, typical properties and various applications of hydrogels, foams, and aerogels derived from MF resins. © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.