Effects of Hardener and Extender Contents on Curing Behavior of Urea-Melamine-Formaldehyde Resin

This study was conducted to discuss the effects of hardener and extender contents on peak temperature, reaction enthalpy (${\Delta}H$), gelation time, viscosity change, and pH value in three types of UMF (urea-melamine- formaldehyde) resin with the help of perpHecT LogR meter, differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and advanced rheometric expansion system (ARES), The results indicated that the pH value of Control A steeply decreased to 5,2 in the early stage but relatively remained constant thereafter as in Synthesis 1 and Synthesis 2, The peak temperature and time decreased as well, whereas ${\Delta}H$ and viscosity increased with the increase of hardener content. On the other hand, ${\Delta}H$ was not changed up to the extender content of 5% and then decreased with its further addition, And the pH value and peak temperature showed no change with the increase of extender content at the hardener content of 5% in three types of UMF resin, The effect of hardener content in this experiment, however, appeared more conspicuous in Control A than in the other two types of Synthesis 1 and Synthesis 2, These results might be caused by higher molecular weight with longer chains of methylene ($-CH_2-$) and methylene ($-CH_2-O-CH_2-$) ether bridges or much more branched chains in Control A.