Preparation an‎d experimental investigation of the structure an‎d physical-mechanical properties of melamine formaldehyde foams

10/22/2026 12:00:00 AM

In this study, in order to investigate the effect of the type an‎d concentration of emulsifier on the physical, thermal, morphological, an‎d mechanical properties of melamine–formaldehyde foams, various samples were prepared using five different emulsifiers, including ammonium lauryl sulfate (ALS), Tween 80, an‎d their combinations at three different concentration levels. The experimental design was carried out using MiniTab software based on a full factorial design, enabling a systematic eva‎luation of the simultaneous effects of emulsifier type an‎d concentration on foam properties . After sample preparation, Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) was employed to investigate the chemical structure, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was used to analyze the cellular morphology, thermal stability tests were conducted to study thermal behavior, an‎d compression tests were performed to eva‎luate compressive strength an‎d Young’s modulus. In addition, apparent density an‎d water absorption were measured to assess the physical properties of the foams .The results demonstrated that the use of ALS as the emulsifier led to the formation of a more intact cellular structure, lower density—particularly in sample A-1.5, with a value of 0.0281 g/cm³—an‎d superior mechanical an‎d thermal properties compared to the other samples. The presence of less defective cell walls in ALS-containing samples, attributed to the lower hydro‎philicity of this emulsifier, resulted in significantly higher compressive strength relative to other formulations. Specifically, the compressive strength of sample A-2 was approximately ten times higher than that of sample T-2. Overall, the findings indicate that precise control over the type an‎d amount of emulsifier plays a critical role in optimizing the structure an‎d performance of melamine–formaldehyde foams an‎d facilitates their further development for industrial applications.

فوم هاي گرماسخت , ملامين فرمالدهيد , امولسيفاير , خواص مكانيكي , مورفولوژي

Thermoset foams , melamine formaldehyde , Emulsifier , Mechanical properties , morphology

Niyayesh Ourak Marzijarani

Dr. Mohammad Fasihi Dastjerdi