Because of its thermosetting features, urea-formaldehyde is present in various products as an adhesive. Thermosetting polymers like this are unique in that they’re soft and malleable during the application. Consequently, they’re capable of filling any size or shape. They then harden once they come in contact with a bit of heat. Read about some of the adhesive applications of urea-formaldehyde to understand why urea-formaldehyde resin manufacturers are in such demand.
Construction
Perhaps the most common adhesive application of urea-formaldehyde is its use in plywood and particleboards. These materials depend on urea-formaldehyde resins to hold them together. As they’re low-cost and effective, urea-formaldehyde resins make plywood a highly useful building material that is versatile, durable, and stable. Manufacturers create plywood by layering thin pieces of wood on top of each other and using urea-formaldehyde adhesive as the binding agent between them. Urea-formaldehyde is handy because its thermosetting properties make it incredibly quick to set without sacrificing effectiveness. Therefore, plywood and particle boards are easy to mass-produce. Furthermore, these planks and boards have high tensile strength due to how they spread tension across a greater area because of all the layers that the adhesive holds together.
Insulation
For similar reasons, the urea-formaldehyde resin has become a popular material in insulation construction. Because it’s malleable and easy to insert into small spaces, the resin can fill even the oddest shapes and designs without any issues. Once filled, a bit of heat allows the resin to set and harden for thorough and effective insulation. This has been especially helpful, as people have found that asbestos insulation is toxic. Since it’s best to replace it quickly, urea-formaldehyde comes in handy because it offers a swift solution once builders remove asbestos.
Electronics
While it isn’t present in the electronic components themselves, the urea-formaldehyde resin is the adhesive manufacturers use for the shell encasing the inner device parts. For example, the construction of a desk lamp requires urea-formaldehyde resins to give it that iconic casing that allows the device to concentrate light on your desk. It’s humble work, but without such a reliable and low-cost adhesive, none of our electronic devices would be as practical as they have become today.
