Urea-formaldehyde (UF) is a non-transparent thermosetting resin. It consists of formaldehyde and urea. These resins function in adhesives, plywood, particle board, medium-density fiberboard (MDF), urea production as an anti-caking agent, and molded products because of their excellent bonding strength, flexural modulus, high heat distortion, and many other chemical properties. In-demand companies usually rely on urea formaldehyde concentrate (UFC) rather than other forms of this product to meet the requirements of their industries. It is a cost-effective decision when shipping is considered due to the high formaldehyde and urea concentrations in Urea Formaldehyde Concentrate (UFC). This product is exceptionally stable, with a long shelf life and reliable clarity. It also reduces process water effluent, an important feature.
JAM Group Co. is a leading Urea Formaldehyde Concentrate (UFC) manufacturer and exporter that provides customers with different grades of this product, holding high chemical properties. You can rely on This company’s products not only for splicing wood but also for veneer, wood joining, and board gluing. The relatively low-cost products may also attract your attention, especially when it comes with high purity and excellent chemical properties. It is also worth mentioning that JAM Group provides products related to UFC, such as aminoplast resins. So, this company is also regarded as a urea formaldehyde adhesive powder manufacturer and producer of a wide range of related products. For more information about our products, please get in touch with our customer support.
What is Urea Formaldehyde Concentrate (UFC)?
Before discussing different grades and types of urea-formaldehyde concentrate, it is helpful to first learn about urea formaldehyde or UF. Urea-formaldehyde (UF), commonly known as urea-methanal, is a non-transparent thermosetting resin or polymer called after its typical manufacturing process and overall structure. These compounds are types of synthetic resins produced chemically by combining formaldehyde (a highly reactive gas obtained from methane) and urea, a solid crystal made from ammonia. Medium-density fiberboard (MDF), plywood, particle board, adhesives, and molded items employ these resins. Urea-formaldehyde resins account for 80% of the production of UF and related amino resins, a type of thermosetting resins. Amino resins are used, for instance, to mold electrical gadgets, jar lids, and automotive tires to strengthen the link between rubber and paper for improved grip strength.
Urea formaldehyde resin, which is the base chemical in producing urea formaldehyde concentrate (UFC), holds several characteristics, such as:
- High tensile strength;
- Flexural modulus;
- High heat-distortion temperature;
- Low water absorption;
- Mold shrinkage;
- High surface hardness;
- Elongation at break;
- Volume resistance.
It also has a 1.55 refractive index.
Accordingly, urea formaldehyde concentrate is a transparent, viscous, and pure type of this chemical compound. Each grade of this product includes a specific amount of formaldehyde and urea with the remaining water. Urea formaldehyde concentrate holds various properties that lead to many applications. It offers the maximum amount of urea-formaldehyde commercially accessible in a convenient form for usage in multiple industries. It serves as an intermediary chemical for various urea formaldehyde derivatives (for instance, it is used by Urea Moulding Powder (Compression Grade) manufacturers). It is sometimes referred to as form urea and TMU (Tetra Methylol Urea). This chemical compound is a great intermediate product for chemical and industrial uses because of its long, strong time, high solid content, appropriate fluidity, low water content, and clarity. As lumped urea is challenging for farmers, urea formaldehyde concentrate is frequently employed as an anti-caking agent for urea fertilizer to prevent lump formation. Other urea-based resins, including urea formaldehyde resins and Urea Formaldehyde Adhesives, are also produced using it.
Different Grades of Urea Formaldehyde Concentrate (UFC)
As mentioned above, formaldehyde, urea, and water make up urea formaldehyde concentrate. It offers a highly concentrated version of formaldehyde that is easily accessible on the market. The crucial factor in producing this chemical compound is the amount of these three substances and the concentration level. For various reasons, most customers prefer to use a high-purity grade of urea formaldehyde concentrate. As a result, urea formaldehyde concentrate (UFC 65) manufacturers tend to produce this chemical compound with the highest concentration possible. These pure grades also must be available with varying amounts of urea and formaldehyde.
It is worth mentioning that urea resins are created in industrial manufacturing by condensing formaldehyde and urea in an aqueous solution with ammonia acting as an alkaline catalyst. The condensation reaction creates a clear, syrupy solution, which can then be sprayed into powder and used in adhesives or coatings. It can also be combined with cellulose filler to create powders for solid object molding. The resin, primarily composed of low-molecular-weight intermediate polymers or prepolymers, is cured to reach its final state, consisting of a three-dimensional network of interlinked polymers under heat and pressure.
Factors below can differ each grade of urea formaldehyde concentrate:
- The appearance that is usually a transparent and colorless liquid;
- Formaldehyde content;
- Urea content;
- Water content;
- Methanol content, max;
- Viscosity at 25 °C;
- Specific gravity at 20 °C;
- pH at 25 °C.
Following this section, we’ll discuss the two common grades of urea-formaldehyde concentrate with their unique properties; many producers, such as Urea Formaldehyde Adhesive manufacturers, may use these types in their industries.
UFC 65
urea formaldehyde concentrate (UFC 65) is a clear and viscous liquid composed of 48 percent formaldehyde, 17 percent urea, and 34 to 35 percent water. This grade is used in manufacturing aminoplast resins, such as urea formaldehyde adhesives and UF and MUF impregnation resins. It also serves as an anti-caking agent in the process of producing urea. Below, you can discover UFC 65 properties in more detail.
- A transparent and colorless liquid appearance;
- pH at 25 °C: 7 to 8.5;
- Formaldehyde content: 48 ± 1 Wt.%;
- Urea content: 17 ± 1 Wt.%;
- Water content: 34 to 35 Wt.%;
- Methanol content, max: 0.2 Wt.%, after 72 hours;
- Viscosity at 25 °C: 50 to 150 mPa-s;
- Specific gravity at 20 °C: 1.28 ± 0.02.
UFC 85
60% formaldehyde, 25% urea, and 14–15% water comprise another grade of urea formaldehyde concentrate (UFC) called UFC 85. like UFC 65, it is a viscous, transparent liquid that offers formaldehyde at high concentrations, easily obtainable. UFC 85 can be stored for up to nine months at 25 ºC. Urea Formaldehyde Concentrate (UFC 85) manufacturers provide this product in various packaging options for customers’ convenience. The following is a detailed description of the properties of UFC 85.
A transparent and colorless liquid appearance;
pH at 25 °C: 7 to 8.5;
- Formaldehyde content: 60 ± 1 Wt.%;
- Urea content: 25 ± 1 Wt.%;
- Water content: 14 to 15 Wt.%;
- Methanol content, max: 0.2 Wt.%, after 72 hours;
- Viscosity at 25 °C: 240 – 500 mPa-s;
- Specific gravity at 20 °C: 1.32 ± 0.005.
Urea Formaldehyde Concentrate (UFC) Production Process
Over 20 million metric tons of urea-formaldehyde are created each year. The forest products sector uses more than 70% of this production to connect particleboard, MDF, hardwood plywood, and laminating glue. Briefly speaking, the first step in forming formaldehyde is the reaction between methanol and air. The urea formaldehyde concentrate created after this stage dissolves into the urea solution. It is also worth mentioning that each Urea Formaldehyde Concentrate (UFC) manufacturer utilizes a specific method to make a particular grade of this substance. Hence, production methods vary based on their details and their outcome.
Below, we go into detail about this chemical compound production process. In the method described in this article, formaldehyde and urea are transformed into a stable liquid product that contains 60% or more, preferably 80 to 85%, total solids (calculated as formaldehyde and urea plus the remaining water) and that is soluble at room temperature. This process produces a dependable formaldehyde concentrate that is particularly useful for creating slow-release nitrogen fertilizers. It is also suitable for making adhesives.
The Raw Materials
One of the starting components is an aqueous formaldehyde solution that ranges from 30 to 50%. An unfettered (low methanol) formaldehyde solution with no more than 0.02% by weight of formic acid based on the formaldehyde is an excellent choice. Solid urea or aqueous urea can be used in the procedure, too. It is more suitable if manufacturers utilize urea that contains no more than 0.015% of ammonia by weight of the total amount of urea.
The Description of the Process
The procedure entails adding urea to an aqueous formaldehyde solution that contains between 30 and 50% by weight of formaldehyde and, preferably, no more than 0.02% by weight of formic acid. The aqueous must have no more than 0.015% by weight of ammonia, in such a quantity that the resultant combination contains a mol ratio of 4.4 to 7.3 mols of formaldehyde for every mol of urea. It then raises the reaction mixture’s pH to a value between 8.8 and 9.5, ideally 8.8 to 8.9, before heating it to a temperature between 30 and 60 degrees Celsius.
By distillation at temperatures between 45° and 60°C, water should be removed from the combination above for at least 15 minutes, ideally 0.5 to 1.0 hours. This process must occur at a pressure lower than atmospheric, at which water is removed from the mixture and evaporated, leaving behind a liquid composed primarily of formaldehyde and urea, which account for 60 to 90% of the liquid residue. The duration of heating the reaction mixture and evaporating the water correlates with the reaction and evaporation temperatures. Ultimately, there should be 2 to 3 urea-formaldehyde molecular species in the concentrated aqueous urea-formaldehyde reaction product. Additionally, this product must have a buffer capacity of 7 to 10.
Specific Requirements
As mentioned previously, Urea Formaldehyde Concentrate (UFC) functions in several industries. Therefore, each grade of this product must meet specific requirements in the production phase to achieve the best results in its final application. For instance, materials produced by the method introduced in this section must undergo additional processes to become appropriate for manufacturing in certain sectors.
The final product of the production process above must be quickly cooled to room temperature to prevent additional polymerization and create a substance appropriate for producing adhesives. Additionally, a tiny amount of ammonia must be added to the buffer to bring the content down to around 13. On the other hand, The output of the first production process can be kept for 48 hours at 45° to 50°C to create a product suitable for making fertilizers containing water-insoluble, slow-release nitrogen. This product has a buffer capacity of roughly eight.
Urea Formaldehyde Concentrate (UFC) Applications
This article discussed urea-formaldehyde concentrate, a chemical compound created by using formaldehyde, urea, and a trace amount of water. The urea formaldehyde concentrate finds many uses due to its diverse characteristics. It has the highest level of urea formaldehyde that is commercially available in an easily accessible form in several industries. It is an intermediate chemical utilized to produce several additional derivatives based on Urea Formaldehyde solution. Urea-formaldehyde also contains several chemical properties: its long, strong time, high solid content, suitable fluidity, low water content, and purity.
Among urea formaldehyde concentrate applications are materials that bind wood together, such as textiles, paper, foundry sand molds, wrinkle-resistant clothing, cotton blends, rayon, corduroy, etc. In more detail, it molds jar tops, bonds rubber to tire cords in tires from the automotive industry, improves tear resistance in paper, etc. In agricultural fields, urea formaldehyde is also utilized as a source of nitrogen fertilizer. Soil-based bacteria control their rate of decomposition into CO2 and NH3. It further serves as a conditioner or anti-caking agent for urea fertilizer. Urea formaldehyde concentrate also produces permanent press resins for textiles, urea formaldehyde liquid resins, UF powdered resins, UF molding compound materials, and protective coating formulations from Alkyd resins. So, many products have been manufactured by the use of urea formaldehyde concentrate, such as:
Urea Formaldehyde Adhesive Powder:
After being mixed with water, it serves as a liquid adhesive. This type of aminoplast resin is preferable over liquid resin when production runs are infrequent, and a longer storage life is required. This powder produces plywood, interior furniture, particle board, and other wood-based goods.
Fire Retardant Urea Formaldehyde Adhesive Powder:
This chemical functions as a liquid fire-retardant adhesive after being combined with water. It has a 40-minute fire retardant range. The primary use is in the manufacture of wood products that are fire resistant. It produces furniture, plywood, particle board, and other fire-resistant wood goods.
Urea Moulding Powder:
It is a thermoset substance loaded with cellulose used to make sanitary and electrical items. Urea molding powder comes in granular, fine powder, and a wide range of eye-catching hues. It manufactures skateboards, buttons, toilet seats, and ski boards. Electrical parts also employ urea molding compounds because of their excellent electrical and thermal resistance.
Urea Formaldehyde Laminating Resin:
Urea formaldehyde laminating resin manufacturers present this product to create a robust, colorless laminated surface on wood goods. In the case of this product, wood items’ coatings have been applied with a solid bond. It also serves as the middle layer of resin for the medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and compact boards’ impregnation of overlay sheets.
Urea Formaldehyde Laminating Powder:
The powdered urea formaldehyde resin manufacturers mix this chemical with water and provide it in impregnating overlay papers. This product forms a strong bonding in the overlay coating of wood products and creates a robust and colorless laminated surface on wood products. It acts as a resin for the middle layer of overlay paper impregnation on medium-density fiberboard (MDF) and compact boards.
As an Adhesive
Due to its thermosetting qualities, urea formaldehyde concentrate (UFC) functions as an adhesive in many products. These thermoplastic materials are distinctive in that they are pliable and soft when applied. As a result, they can fill cavities of any size or shape. Once they come into contact with some heat, they subsequently become harder. The use of urea-formaldehyde as an adhesive in plywood and particleboards may be the most widespread. These materials are held together by urea-formaldehyde resins. Urea-formaldehyde resins transform plywood into a good building material that is adaptable, strong, and stable due to its low cost and effectiveness.
In Agriculture
As a nitrogen supply with a gradual release, Urea Formaldehyde Concentrate (UFC) contributes to agriculture. Microbes present naturally in most soils control the rate of its breakdown into CO2 and NH 3. Temperature affects these microorganisms’ activity and how quickly ammonia is released.
About JAM Group’s Urea Formaldehyde Concentrate (UFC)
JAM Group Co. is a reputable manufacturer capable of producing different types of this product. The company manufactures urea formaldehyde concentrate and regularly creates unique amino resins for specific uses. Customers from every corner of the world can count on our products without hesitation. JAM Group’s products are suitable raw materials for creating industrial resins for furniture manufacturing and woodworking and as an anti-caking ingredient when processing granulated nitrogen fertilizers. The benefit of our UFC over other forms of this chemical is the ease of transporting it over large distances with a sufficiently high formaldehyde level.
JAM Group has developed a specialty in producing and developing specialty chemicals for various sectors and applications. It has established itself as a reliable source for all types and grades of urea formaldehyde concentrate (UFC) for countless businesses that require specialized services, from agricultural to personal care items. So, You will purchase the highest quality goods and services when you enter a contract or purchase with JAM Group. It is also vital to know that the company presents other aminoplast resins so that you can count on it as a powerful urea formaldehyde adhesive powder manufacturer or a fire retardant urea formaldehyde adhesive powder manufacturer.
Conclusion
Urea formaldehyde concentrate (UFC) (often known as urea-methanal because of its standard production method and overall structure) is a non-transparent thermosetting liquid. Both urea and formaldehyde contribute to its production. High tensile strength, flexural modulus, high heat-distortion temperature, low water absorption, mold shrinkage, high surface hardness, elongation at break, and volume resistance are among the characteristics of urea formaldehyde resin. As a result, this pure chemical compound serves many industries, such as adhesives, plywood, particle board, medium-density fibreboard (MDF), and molded objects. Urea formaldehyde concentrate (UFC) manufacturers present different grades of this product, and UFC65 and UFC85 are among the widely used.
