Preparation of a nano-silica modified melamine formaldehyde resin

Addition of a dispersed solution of nano-SiO2 in polyethylene glycol into a melamine/formaldehyde mixture enhanced the physical properties (cure time, free formaldehyde, and the breaking elongation) of a melamine formaldehyde (MF) resin. Incorporation of 0.42% eSiO2 reduced the glass transition temperature of the MF resin by 29.4 °C, while the thermogravimetric (TG)spectrum suggests that the introduction of nano-SiO2 into the MF resin hardly affected its thermal stability, with a similar mass loss between the nano-SiO2 -incorporated and reference resins. Relative to a reference material, weaker and higher wave numbers were observed in Raman in the modified MF resin, attributable to the C–H and –CH2- of the hydroxymethyl and methylene bonds, respectively. Put together, these results suggest that addition of dispersed nano-SiO2 has produced a modified MF resin with improved toughness and other favorable properties for potential use in wood composites and other applications.