Question

Write uses of melamine plastic.

Answer 1

Hint: Melamine has found its most applications based on the properties of a resin which it forms by reacting with formaldehyde. Melamine is an unsaturated, cyclic compound with formula \[{C_3}{N_3}{\left( {N{H_2}} \right)_3}\].

Complete answer:
We can write its structure as follows:

> For its most common uses, it is taken as melamine-formaldehyde resins which are simply represented as MF resins. These are highly stable for their heat resistant property and are used in manufacturing kitchenware, floor tiles, fire-retardant fabrics that include uniforms of firefighters or gloves which are heat resistant and so on.
> Sulfonated melamine-formaldehyde which can be represented as SMF, can be used in making high-resistance concrete. SMF helps in reducing the water content thereby increasing the fluidity as well as the workability of concrete. The concrete thus prepared has lower porosity and higher mechanical strength which makes it more durable.
> Foam of melamine can also be used as insulating material or even as sound-proof material.
> Melamine is also used in the fabrication of particleboards. Cost effectiveness being the major reason.
> It has also been found that melamine is a metabolite of cyromazine, which is a pesticide. This has raised many concerns over its harmful effects.
Melamine contamination of powdered infant formula was found to be the reason for deaths of babies in China in the summer of 2008. US FDA has set the maximum acceptable concentration of melamine to be 50 ppb. Yet, it is advised to be very careful and if possible then avoid the melamine plastic products such as kitchenware where there is a high risk of ingesting melamine.

Note: We are quite familiar with the environmental issues caused by the plastics at present so in addition to their wide applications we have to look for their effects on other aspects as well.