Limited to dark colors owing to oxidation discoloration. Fillers required for moldings. Volatiles released during cure. Low cost and large amount of application experience. THe resins are used for bonding, coating and as moulding compounds.
Moldings invariably contain fillers as the unfilled resin is extremely brittle.
Variations include fine powders for high gloss finishes, and controlled particle size materials for accurate automatic moulding machines. Variations include zero shrinkage materials for accurate moulding. Elastomer-modified types have better heat resistance and impact strength than glass filled types. These grades are not exclusive, and many applications will require a number of these property improvements, e.g. an electrical component may also require heat and impact resistance. Combine the decorative possibilities and tracking resistance of melamine with the easier moulding and cheapness of phenolics.