Melamine

Melamine is a nitrogen-rich organic compound used to make durable resins and other materials. Its nitrogen content has also made it a food adulterant used to falsely inflate apparent protein measurements.

Melamine-formaldehyde resin: A thermosetting polymer made by reacting melamine with formaldehyde. Melamine's multiple reactive sites let it form the cross-linked networks used in hard, durable products.
Melamine tableware: Reusable dishes and utensils made from melamine-formaldehyde resin. This familiar product uses the resin's hardness and resistance to breakage.
2008 Chinese milk scandal: A food-safety crisis in China in which dairy products were adulterated with melamine. The scandal exposed the use of melamine to make diluted milk appear richer in protein.
Cyanamide: A small nitrogen-containing chemical used in industrial synthesis and agriculture. It is a different nitrogen-rich compound, despite its similar name and chemical applications.
Kjeldahl method: A chemical method that estimates protein by measuring nitrogen in a sample. The method can overestimate protein when melamine adds nitrogen that does not come from protein.
Decorative laminate: A layered surfacing material made by bonding decorative paper with resin under heat and pressure. Melamine-based resin helps give many laminates a hard, stain-resistant outer surface.
2007 pet food recalls: A series of recalls after melamine contamination was found in pet food ingredients and products. This earlier crisis linked melamine-contaminated plant ingredients to severe kidney injury in animals.
Urea: A nitrogen-containing compound formed in mammals during the breakdown of protein metabolism. Both compounds contain substantial nitrogen, but urea is a normal metabolic waste product and melamine is not.
Dumas method: An analytical method that estimates protein by measuring nitrogen released during combustion. Like other total-nitrogen assays, it can count melamine nitrogen as if it came from protein.
Melamine foam: A lightweight, open-cell foam made from melamine resin and used for sound absorption and cleaning products. It is a distinct material application of melamine's polymer chemistry.

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