Engineering a pioneering melamine resin based on saccharide-derived aldehyde: Structure characterization and application for eco-leather production

Exploring new aldehydes with non-volatility and non-toxicity to replace formaldehyde (FA) for the fabrication of melamine resins (MRs) with eco-friendliness is a topical challenge worldwide. Herein, we report on a novel and facile way to synthesize an eco-friendly MR using a green crop-oriented saccharide-derived aldehyde (SDA) instead of FA. FTIR , NMR and XPS spectra demonstrated that a biomass-derived aldehyde bonded melamine resin (BMR) was synthesized. GPC test showed that the weight average molecular weight of BMR could be up to 4849 g/mol when the mole ratio between SDA and melamine (MA) was 1:1, which decreased as the SDA dosage increased. The application of BMR as a filling agent for leather processing indicated that BMR could improve the hydrothermal stability of filled leather and exhibited reasonable thickening capability. Meanwhile, the BMR-treated crust leather had higher mechanical strengths than melamine FA resin (MFR)-treated crust leather, and it contained almost no FA while the FA content of the MFR-treated crust leather was up to 86.4 mg/kg, indicating the favorable eco-friendliness of BMRs. This work presents a significant step forward for synthesizing environmentally-friendly BMR used in eco-leather production and other MR-involved industries. • Saccharide-derived aldehyde was employed to synthesize a new melamine resin (BMR). • Achieving a green alternative to formaldehyde for developing pioneering BMR. • BMR is much better in filling than commercial melamine formaldehyde resin (MFR). • BMR filled leather had excellent thermal stability and eco-friendliness. • BMR can serve as an eco-agent used in other melamine resin-related industries.