What is melamine sponge
Melamine sponge, also known as melamine foam and melamine foam, is a new porous functional material made of melamine resin as the base material and made through high temperature and high pressure foaming process. It has a three-dimensional grid open-pore structure with a porosity of more than 99%. It has three core properties: sound absorption and noise reduction, thermal insulation, and intrinsic flame retardancy. It is widely used in Building Acoustics, industrial Pipe Insulation, Rail Transit, automobile manufacturing, Electronics & Electrical Appliances and other fields. It is currently one of the most balanced high-performance foam materials.
In recent years, with the advancement of the national dual-carbon strategy and the continuous improvement of various industries" requirements for energy conservation, consumption reduction, safety and environmental protection, melamine sponge is gradually moving from a niche high-end material in the past to a broader industrial application market.
One of the most outstanding properties of melamine sponge is its excellent acoustic absorption capacity. Due to the highly connected three-dimensional open pore structure inside, when sound waves enter the interior of the material, reflection, refraction and friction will occur in countless small pores, and the sound energy is converted into heat energy and dissipated, thereby achieving efficient sound absorption and noise reduction effects.
According to third-party testing data, the noise reduction coefficient (NRC) of melamine sponge can reach more than 0.85, which means that most incident sound waves can be effectively absorbed rather than reflected. In the mid-to-high frequency band, the sound-absorbing effect of melamine sponge is particularly excellent, making it an ideal acoustic treatment material for spaces such as concert halls, lecture halls, recording studios, and industrial workshops.
Compared with traditional sound-absorbing materials, the advantage of melamine sponge is that it is thinner and lighter in weight with the same sound-absorbing effect, saving installation space and structural load.
The thermal conductivity of melamine sponge is extremely low, usually below 0.035 W/(m·K), and it belongs to the category of high-performance thermal insulation materials. This means that it can effectively block the conduction of heat and reduce heat energy loss.
Its thermal insulation mechanism comes from two aspects: on the one hand, the extremely low density and a large number of static air bubbles reduce the heat conduction of the solid skeleton; on the other hand, the open-cell structure limits the convective heat transfer of the air. The two work together to give melamine sponge excellent thermal insulation capabilities.
In high-temperature environments, melamine sponge can still maintain stable thermal insulation performance. The long-term use temperature can reach 240°C, and it can withstand higher thermal shock in the short term. This gives it unique advantages in scenarios such as industrial insulation, thermal insulation, and noise reduction in high-temperature production workshops. Traditional organic insulation materials tend to shrink, melt, or release harmful gases at high temperatures, while melamine sponges can work stably.
Flame retardant performance is the key feature that distinguishes melamine sponge from most organic foam materials.
Ordinary polyurethane foam, polystyrene foam and other materials are flammable when exposed to fire, burn quickly and release large amounts of toxic smoke, posing a major safety hazard in building fires. Even modified varieties with added flame retardants still have the risk of flame retardant migration and long-term failure.
Melamine sponge is different - it is an intrinsic flame retardant material, does not need to add any flame retardants, and has excellent fire retardant properties. Its flame retardant rating can reach UL94 V-0 level and complies with GB 8624 B1 level standard.
When exposed to fire, melamine sponge exhibits the following characteristics:
• Fast self-extinguishing: carbonizes and self-extinguishes quickly after leaving the fire source, and will not continue to burn.
• No dripping: No molten drippings will be produced when burning, thus avoiding secondary damage.
• Low smoke and non-toxic: low smoke volume and low smoke toxicity, buying valuable time for people to escape
This characteristic has made melamine sponge widely recognized in fields with extremely high fire safety requirements, such as construction, construction and construction.
Melamine sponge has a very wide operating temperature range, from -160°C to +240°C, it can be used stably for a long time, and it can withstand higher temperature shocks in the short term.
In low-temperature environments, ordinary rubber and plastic materials will become hard and brittle, losing elasticity and sealing properties, while melamine sponge still maintains good flexibility and structural integrity under extremely cold conditions of -160°C, and will not brittle.
It is also stable in high temperature environments. There will be no obvious thermal deformation, thermal degradation or performance attenuation when used for a long time below 240℃, and it can continue to play the role of sound absorption and heat insulation. For high temperature equipment and noise reduction, melamine sponge is a safe and reliable choice.
The density of melamine sponge is only 8-12 kg/m³, which means that in applications such as building ceilings, vehicle interiors, and pipe cladding, it will hardly increase the structural load and facilitate construction and installation.
Melamine sponge meets environmental protection requirements during production and use:
• Low formaldehyde release: The resin is fully cured and the formaldehyde release is extremely low, meeting environmental standards.
• No dust, no fiber loss: Unlike glass wool and rock wool, which produce fiber dust, it is not irritating to the skin and respiratory tract. Construction workers can operate with bare hands and no special protective equipment is required.
• Low VOC: Low content of volatile organic compounds, no odor after long-term use in a closed space
• Environmental certification: Passed RoHS and REACH certification, in line with EU environmental standards
• Recyclable: production scraps can be recycled and reused, in line with the concept of green manufacturing
This feature is particularly important for indoor application scenarios - gymnasiums, office buildings, schools, hospitals and other crowded places, the use of melamine sponge means a healthier indoor environment.
performance dimension | Core parameters | illustrate |
Sound absorption and noise reduction | NRC ≥ 0.85 | Broadband and efficient sound absorption, opening rate 99.9% |
Thermal insulation | Thermal conductivity 0.035 W/(m·K) Airgel model≤0.015 W/(m·K) | Better than traditional rock wool/glass wool |
Flame retardant safety | UL94 V-0/B1 Class | Intrinsically flame retardant, self-extinguishing when removed from fire, no droplets and low smoke |
Lightweight | Density 8-12 kg/m³ | 5-10 times lighter than traditional materials, reducing structural load |
Temperature resistance range | -160℃ ~ +240℃ | Stable performance in extreme temperature environments |
Environmental protection and safety | RoHS/REACH certified, low formaldehyde | No dust, no irritation, safe and environmentally friendly |
Note: The above parameters are typical values, and the specific specifications are subject to the actual product technical data.
In large public buildings such as gymnasiums, conference centers, concert halls, theaters, schools, and hospitals, melamine sponge is widely used in wall sound-absorbing panels, ceiling sound absorbers, space sound absorbers, etc., to effectively control reverberation time, improve indoor sound quality, and enhance space comfort.
Compared with traditional glass wool and rock wool, melamine sponge does not produce fiber dust and does not cause irritation to the human respiratory tract, making it more suitable for use in densely populated indoor spaces. It can also be covered with facing fabrics of different colors and materials according to decoration needs to achieve the unification of acoustic performance and aesthetic effect.
A large number of high-temperature pipelines and power equipment have dual requirements for insulation and noise reduction. Traditional solutions often require separate insulation layers and sound insulation layers, which are complex in structure, difficult to construct, and costly.
Melamine sponge combines heat insulation and sound absorption. One layer of material can solve the two problems of insulation and noise reduction at the same time. It can be processed into various shapes such as pipe shells, curved plates, flat plates, etc., and can be directly covered on the surface of pipes or equipment. The construction is simple and the effect is remarkable. It is especially suitable for the integrated treatment of thermal insulation and noise reduction of thermal pipelines, boiler equipment, generator sets, fans, pump bodies and other equipment.
High-speed rail, subway, light rail, new energy vehicles and other means of transportation have extremely high requirements for lightweight, noise reduction and fire safety. Melamine sponge meets these three needs at the same time:
● Lightweight: Significantly reduces vehicle weight and improves energy efficiency;
● Sound absorption: Effectively reduce noise in the car and improve ride comfort;
● Flame retardant: Meets the most stringent fire protection standards in Rail Transit and the automotive industry (such as DIN 5510, EN 45545, etc.).
In high-speed rail car interiors, subway car body side walls, car engine cabin sound insulation, ceiling insulation and other parts, melamine sponge is gradually replacing traditional PU foam and glass wool and becoming the acoustic insulation material for high-end transportation.
Electronics & Electrical Appliances There are often both cooling airflow noise and electromagnetic heat dissipation requirements in the cooling air ducts, inside the chassis, power modules, etc. of the product. Melamine sponge can be processed into various shapes of sound-insulating pads and attached to the inner wall of the chassis. It does not block air circulation, but can effectively absorb the airflow noise generated by fans and air ducts. At the same time, its high temperature resistance and flame retardant properties ensure safe use.
Melamine sponge can also be used for noise reduction in air conditioning ducts and sound absorption in equipment compartments to reduce environmental noise without affecting heat dissipation efficiency.
Heating and ventilation equipment such as central air conditioning systems, ventilation ducts, and fan coil units are one of the main noise sources in buildings. Melamine sponge can be made into air duct linings, fan silencers, static pressure box sound-absorbing layers, etc., to effectively control airflow noise.
Because its open-pore structure is breathable and has low resistance, it will not significantly increase wind resistance. It ensures the sound absorption effect while maintaining the ventilation efficiency of the system. It is an ideal noise reduction material in the field of HVAC.
The advantage of melamine sponge lies not only in the material itself, but also in its strong secondary processing plasticity. Through various deep processing techniques, it can be made into products of different shapes to adapt to the diverse needs of different industries:
• Slicing/vertical cutting: Cut large pieces of foam into sheets of different thicknesses to meet general engineering needs
• Die cutting/punching: processed into specified shapes according to drawings, suitable for automated production line assembly
• CNC special-shaped cutting: three-dimensional carving, processing complex special-shaped parts such as arcs, cones, and waves, accurately matching the contours of equipment and pipes
• Back adhesive lamination: The back side is compounded with pressure-sensitive adhesive (tissue paper glue, cloth-based glue, foam glue, etc.), which can be peeled and pasted for easy construction.
• Aluminum foil covering: Composite aluminum foil on the surface to enhance heat reflection and insulation effect, while also being moisture-proof, dust-proof, and tear-resistant
• Hydrophobic treatment: The surface is hydrophobically modified to resist water vapor erosion and is suitable for humid environments.
• Aerogel composite: Composite with airgel material, the thermal conductivity can be as low as 0.015 W/(m·K), entering the super thermal insulation level
• Flocking/fabric veneer: The surface is covered with fire-resistant decorative cloth or flocking, used for indoor acoustic decoration projects, taking into account both aesthetics and functionality.
From original blocks, sheets, and rolls to die-cut parts, CNC special-shaped parts, composite laminates, and from standard products to highly customized products, melamine sponge can be processed into almost any required form.
Shanghai Junhua New Materials Co., Ltd. is a high-tech enterprise focusing on the research and development, production and sales of melamine sponge. It has full chain capabilities from raw materials to finished products:
• Technology accumulation: 23 independent research and development patents, 7 registered trademarks
• Quality assurance: UL certification, IATF 16949, ISO 9001/14001/45001, BSCI certification, accepted worldwide
• Production capacity guarantee: annual production capacity of 100,000 cubic meters, warehousing area of 20,000 square meters, multiple flat cutting/vertical cutting/die cutting equipment, stable delivery
• Customized processing: die cutting/compositing/special-shaped processing/hydrophobic treatment/airgel composite to meet diverse needs
• Industry applications: Aerospace, new energy vehicles, Rail Transit, industrial insulation, Building Acoustics
