Melamine foam

Melamine foam is a foam-like material consisting of a formaldehyde-melamine-sodium bisulfite copolymer.

The foam is manufactured in Germany by BASF under the name "Basotect". It has been used for over twenty years as insulation for pipes and ductwork, and has a long history as a soundproofing material for studios, sound stages, auditoriums, and the like. The low smoke and flame properties of melamine foam prevent it from being a fire hazard.^[1]

It is also the component of Magic Eraser and similar cleaning products.

Cleaner

A Magic Eraser with blue sponge at bottom

In the early 21st century it was discovered that melamine foam was an effective abrasive cleaner.^[2] The open-cell foam is microporous and its polymeric substance is very hard, so that when used for cleaning it works like extremely fine sandpaper, getting into tiny grooves and pits in the object being cleaned. On a larger scale the material feels soft. Because the reticulated foam bubbles interconnect, its structure is a 3D network of very hard strands, when compared to the array of separate bubbles in a material such as expanded polystyrene foam (for example, Styrofoam).

Rubbing with a slightly moistened foam may remove otherwise "uncleanable" external markings from surfaces. For example, it can remove crayon, magic marker, and grease from painted walls and wood finishings, plastic-adhering paints from treated wooden tables, and adhesive residue and grime from hubcaps.^[3] If the surface being cleaned is not sufficiently hard, it may be finely scratched by the melamine material. The foam wears away, rather like a pencil eraser, leaving behind a slight residue which can be rinsed off.

See also

• Melamine resin

References

External links

• BASF Story about Mr. Clean Magic Eraser
• Basotect
• Re: spot cleaning walls in gallery
• Dangerous Chemicals in Mr. Clean Magic Eraser Snopes.com article debunking rumour about supposed dangerous chemicals in Magic Eraser