Performance of MUF resins for particleboard before and after spray-drying
Résumé
Melamine-urea-formaldehyde (MUF) resins can be spray-dried to obtain resins in powder form and indefinite shelf-life. Application as particleboard adhesives of such resins after redissolving in water yield resins of excellent performance as particleboard adhesives if the natural advancement caused by the heat in the spray-drier chamber is taken into account. Solid-state cross-polarization/magic angle spinning 13C nuclear magnetic resonance (CP–MAS 13C NMR) analysis of the spray-dried resin in powder form and thermomechanical analysis (TMA) has shown some difference in behavior in relation to MUF resins of the same level of water tolerance which have not been spray-dried. These small but significant differences can be ascribed to differences in resin structure.