Melamine Foam

Properties and shapes available

Melamine foam is a very lightweight, open foam that is both excellent for use as sound insulation, and very flame retardant. It is also a durable material. Its main disadvantage is its sensitivity to weather conditions, and that it can stretch or shrink, making it more fragile and likely to tear. An example of such a condition is humidity; at a relative humidity of 100%, the dimensions of the material can change by around 5%. It is manufactured from blocks and has a thin outer skin. At EKI, we convert these blocks into melamine foam sheets, blocks, strips and tapes. The sheets form the basis for items such as melamine panels, which are used for sound absorption. We can also deliver melamine foam with one self-adhesive side. The various products are suitable for specific applications in the construction, aviation and aerospace engineering.

Sound absorption by melamine foam

This material’s sound absorbing properties drastically reduce the reverberation time in a room, improving the acoustics and the intelligibility of conversations. For this reason, it’s often also called acoustic foam. The material’s absorption coefficient demonstrates its great effectiveness at frequencies between 50 and 1000 Hertz. The frequency of voices falls between 100 and 300 Hertz, which means that melamine foam is ideal when the sound sources are speech sounds. The sound absorption properties of Basotect foam remains the same over almost all frequency ranges, which ensures that sound does not become distorted and only the necessary frequencies are muted. However, we recommend the use of polyurethane foam for sound studios and the like. Acoustic foam is frequently used in office buildings, gymnasiums, classrooms, auditoriums, lecture theatres, catering establishments and other locations where voices are an important factor. EKI recommends the use of white melamine foam for this application. This material is also very suitable for lampshades.

Fire safety benefits of melamine foam

Thanks to its flame-retardant properties, this material complies with the DIN 4102 class B1 standard, among others, and remains stable up to a temperature of 80°C. It is heat resistant up to a temperature of 150°C. This Basotect foam has been specially developed for spaces that have to meet strict safety requirements, such as hospitals, schools, concert halls and restaurants. There is minimal smoke development in the event of fire. In addition to being flame-retardant, this material also has thermal insulation properties. We recommend the use of light grey melamine foam for all of these types of industrial applications.

How EKI delivers melamine foam

Nijmegen-based manufacturer EKI can supply you with high-quality melamine foam sheets, blocks and strips in both standard and custom sizes. Our melamine foam items can be delivered both in bulk and in small quantities. Regardless of the size of the purchase, we can deliver our products quickly throughout Europe. If you have specific requirements or questions about our products or their technical specifications, please contact us via +31(0)243773378 or info@eki.nl.