Growing importance of melamine formaldehyde in construction industry due to its excellent physical and chemical properties

 

Melamine formaldehyde is a type of resin synthesized by a condensation polymerization process. It is a hard polymer and exhibits excellent resistance to corrosion, thermal, and UV. Moreover, it has high strength and low fire susceptibility. All these factors make it suitable engineering materials that expand its application across a range of industries such as automotive, construction and building, packaging, chemicals, electronics, and wood & furniture are some of the major end-users of melamine formaldehyde.

Rising construction activities is a prime factor propelling the market growth of the melamine formaldehyde. Growing demand for melamine formaldehyde from the paints and coatings industry coupled with the expansion of the furniture industry is again contributing to market growth. Melamine formaldehyde has superior surface finishes properties which are creating demand across the furniture industry. Increasing demand for melamine formaldehyde from the automotive industry is also expected to augment the market growth. Moreover, expanding production capacity of the product by key manufacturers is further propelling the market growth. For instance, in December 2019, BASF has expanded its range of the melamine resin foam Basotect®: The new grade Basotect® UF+ with improved emission properties. It is lightweight and flexible foam which makes it ideal for the insulation of rail vehicles as well as of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) technology in buildings.

From the geographical point of view, the Asia Pacific is expected to exhibit significant growth over the forecast period due to robust growth in the construction activities across the region. According to the India Brand Equity Foundation, India is expected to become the third-largest construction market in the world by 2025. 11.5 million homes a year are expected to be added making it a US$ 1 trillion a year market. India plans to spend US$ 1.4 trillion on infrastructure projects through the National Infrastructure Pipeline (NIP), from 2019 to 2023, to ensure sustainable development in the country.

Key Developments:

1.      In April 2019, Prefere Resins acquired INEOS's Melamines and Paraform business segments for an undisclosed amount. Prefere Resins has a total production capacity of 350,000 tonnes/year.

2.      In December 2019, BASF has expanded its range of the melamine resin foam Basotect®: The new grade Basotect® UF+ has improved emission properties. It is lightweight and flexible foam which makes it ideal for the insulation of rail vehicles as well as of heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning (HVAC) technology in buildings.