Plastics. Also aminoplastics

The term aminoplastics has been coined to cover a range of resinous polymers produced by interaction of amines or amides with aldehydes. Of the various polymers of this type that have been produced there are two of current commercial importance in the field of plastics, the urea-formaldehyde and the melamine-formaldehyde resins. There has in the past also been some commercial interest in aniline-formaldehyde resins and in systems containing thiourea but today these are of little or no importance. Melamine-phenol-formaldehyde resins have also been introduced for use in moulding powders, and benzoguanamine-based resins are used for surface coating applications. 

Fillers have been studied for their effect on the rheological properties of aminoplasts. Investigations of the rheological properties of aminoplasts filled with cellulose diacetate (CDA) wastes and into the effect of minor quantities of plasticizers on the viscosity of compositions have been carried out [12]. With a CDA content increase from 40 to 60% the viscosity of the composition declines. With the introduction into the aminoplasts of a lubricant (stearic acid) containing 50% CDA the viscosity of the compositions also declines. The same is observed when introducing 1-2% of plasticizer (unsaturated PEF). 

W. Blakey, The history of aminoplastics The sixth Chance Memorial Lecture of the Society of Chemical Industry, Chemistry and Industry, (25 July 1964), 1349-1357, on p. 1352. Blakey received a D.Phil. in organic chemistry from Kings College, Cambridge, in 1928, and shortly after joined British Cyanides to undertake research into aminoplastic moulding compounds. Blakey was appointed chairman of British Industrial Plastics in 1962, one year after the firm was merged with Turner Newall Ltd. This lecture is an extremely useful source of information on aminoplastic developments. See also C.P. Vale and W.G.K. iy oi Aminoplastics (London Iliffe Books, 1964), which includes a historical introduction, and a portrait of Hanns John who in 1918 patented the first industrial use of urea-formaldehyde resins. 

Collective term for resins that are capable of being cross-Unked. Terms, aminoplast and amino plastic, are also used. The materials are based on compounds containing NH2 group and formaldehyde. The representatives are urea-, melamine-, and dicyanodiamide-based resins used for laminating and molding. 

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