(661d) Sustainability Potential of Melamine Non-Woven Prepared As a High-Performance Material for Thermal and Acoustic Applications

Melamine Etherified Resin (MER) fibers, commercially known as smartMELAMINE, are modified melamine resin fibers obtained by melt-blown technology. A combination of organic, lightweight, fire-resistant, acoustic and thermal insulating properties of MER fibers in combination with excellent textile processability offers a wide range of potential industrial use. Results of flammability test of smartMELAMINE compared to commonly used synthetic fibers, showed that smartMELAMINE does not burn, shrink, melt or drip. These properties offer a great advantage for many technological uses, like a fire blocker, construction material, mobility applications (in automobiles, trains, buses, trucks and aircraft), for thermal protective clothing (workwear), heavy-duty military and firefighters gear, dust/hot gas filtration and various other industrial applications.

Various types of smartMELAMINE non-woven material can be produced with different molecular weight, grammage (30 – 600 gsm), material density (60 – 10 kg/m³) and filament diameter (1 - 25 µm). In addition, obtained melamine non-woven can be chemically modified to obtain material with improved properties. Sustainability potential and recycling opportunities for the above-mentioned material in various stages of its life-cycle will be discussed.

Acknowledgments

Authors would like to acknowledge financial support from the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of Republic of Slovenia and European Regional Development Fund for the project No. 5442-1/2018/106. This project has also received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No. 756081.