What is melamine?
Melamine is a small, nitrogen-containing molecule that has a number of industrial uses, including as an industrial binding agent, flame retardant and as part of a polymer in the manufacture of cooking utensils and plates. Melamine has additionally been used as a fertilizer in some parts of the world. It is not registered for use as a fertilizer in the United States.
Melamine is a small, nitrogen-containing molecule that has a number of industrial uses, including as a binding agent, flame retardant, and as part of a polymer in the manufacture of cooking utensils and plates, plastic resins, and components of paper, paperboard, and industrial coatings. Melamine is not approved for direct addition to human or animal foods marketed in the United States. Melamine also has been used as a fertilizer in some parts of the world. It is not registered for use as a fertilizer in the United States. Melamine-related compounds are in the same family of chemicals as melamine, and include cyanuric acid, ammeline, and ammelide. (Melamine-related compounds are also known as melamine analogues.) Melamine and its related compounds have no approved use as direct ingredients in human or animal food in the United States.
Melamine is a white powder with unique properties – the chemical compound melamine (triamino-triazine – C3N6H6), consisting of carbon, nitrogen and hydrogen. The German scientist Justus von Liebig first synthesized a compound in the 1830s and called it melamine. Commercial interest and synthesis of the compound started in 1937. Nowadays melamine is an important starting material for the production of synthetic thermosetting products worldwide. Melamine is often used as a brand name.
Experts aren’t sure exactly what it’s doing to cause kidney failure in pets – if it’s the culprit. But there are some things about melamine that show it could be the source and a potential threat to humans. “Using the proper quantity of melamine will not harm the animals,” said Wang Jianhui, manager of the Kaiyuan Protein Feed company in the northern city of Shijiazhuang. “Our products are very safe, for sure,” Wang added. What Wang doesn’t mention is that in the United States, it doesn’t belong in pet food. In the U.S. it’s not a matter of what’s prohibited in pet food, it’s a matter of what’s allowed. Melamine is not on the list of ingredients allowed in the food you put in your pet’s bowl. In the United States, melamine is used to make melamine resin. “It’s normally used for coatings on plastics, countertops, even plastic ware that you eat off of, like your forks, plastic knives and so forth,” says Chandra Hardwick, feed administrator for the Colorado Department of Agriculture. Mela
Melamine is a thin laminate, similar in appearance and durability to a Formica-type product. Melamine is not applied to a heavy paper like Formica is, so it must be applied directly to a wood product substrate. Industrial grade particle board is the most common choice because of its density and smooth surface. Thermally Fused Melamine is applied to both sides of a panel under high heat, creating a bond that will never fail. We use Melamine panels because of its resistance to scratching and scuffing, and because it is more economical than a Formica-type product.
