Melamine

Melamine is an organic compound that is often combined with formaldehyde to produce melamine resin, a synthetic polymer that is fire resistant and heat tolerant. The resin is a versatile material with a highly stable structure. Its uses include whiteboards, floor tiles, kitchenware, fire retardant fabrics and commercial filters.

Melamine can be manufactured from dicyandiamide under moderate pressure and high temperature. It is a nitrogen-rich compound and can therefore be used as a fertilizer; however, it is not a preferred source of nitrogen as it is not particularly cost-effective.

Health effects

Melamine and its salts are used as fire-retardant additives in paints, plastics, and paper. Melamine derivatives of arsenical drugs are potentially important in the treatment of African trypanosomiasis.

Melamine use as non-protein nitrogen (NPN) for cattle was described in a 1958 patent. In 1978, however, a study concluded that melamine "may not be an acceptable nonprotein N source for ruminants" because its hydrolysis in cattle is slower and less complete than other nitrogen sources such as cottonseed meal and urea.

Melamine is sometimes illegally added to food products in order to increase the apparent protein content. Standard tests such as the Kjeldahl and Dumas tests estimate protein levels by measuring the nitrogen content, so they can be misled by adding nitrogen-rich compounds such as melamine.

See also

• Melamine resin
• Melamine foam
• Melamine cyanurate
• Melamine toxicity
• 2008 Chinese milk scandal
• 2007 pet food recalls

References

Melamine Resources
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