In the modern chemical industry, melamine, as an important chemical raw material, is widely used in many fields such as plastics, coatings, adhesives, etc. However, the production method of melamine is not static. With the advancement of technology and cost considerations, its production method has also undergone a transformation from one to another. This article will explore the two main production methods of melamine - the dicyandiamide method and the urea method, and analyze their respective advantages and disadvantages and market applications.

1. Dicyandiamide Method: Historical Traces and Current Challenges

Method Overview

The dicyandiamide process, as the name implies, is a production process that uses dicyandiamide as the main raw material to undergo a polymerization reaction in the presence of methanol and ammonia to ultimately produce melamine. This method once occupied a certain market share in the early days, but over time, its limitations have gradually become apparent.

Advantages and Challenges

advantage：

· The technology is relatively mature and the process flow is relatively stable.

challenge：

· The production of raw material dicyandiamide is highly dependent on lime nitrogen, and the production process of lime nitrogen is energy-intensive and costly, which directly leads to the high total cost of producing melamine by dicyandiamide process.

· With the enhancement of environmental awareness, high-energy consumption and high-pollution production methods are gradually restricted by society and policies, and the dicyandiamide method is therefore facing pressure to be eliminated.

Market Status

Nowadays, the dicyandiamide method of producing melamine has gradually been marginalized by the market, especially in those countries and regions with strict requirements on cost control and environmental protection, where this method is even more unsustainable.

2. Urea method: rising star and wide application

Method Overview

Different from the dicyandiamide process, the urea process is a more economical and environmentally friendly production process that uses urea as raw material and undergoes thermal decomposition reaction in the presence of catalyst and ammonia to eventually produce melamine. Since its introduction, this method has quickly gained market recognition due to its unique advantages.

Advantages Analysis

Adequate raw materials：

· Urea, as the main component of nitrogen fertilizer, has huge production and supply worldwide, so the urea process for producing melamine has unique advantages in terms of raw materials.

Low cost：

· Compared with the dicyandiamide method, the urea method has a simpler production process and lower energy consumption, thus greatly reducing production costs.

Environmentally friendly：

· The urea method produces fewer by-products during the production process and is easy to handle, which is in line with the current development trend of green chemistry.

Market Application

Thanks to the above advantages, melamine produced by the urea process has become the mainstream of the market. Whether in the domestic or international market, melamine produced by the urea process has an absolute share. Especially in those application fields that have strict requirements on product quality and production costs, such as high-end plastics, special coatings, etc., melamine produced by the urea process has become an indispensable and important raw material.

3. Conclusion

The production method of melamine has undergone a transformation process from the dicyandiamide method to the urea method. This process not only reflects the inevitable trend of technological progress in the chemical industry, but also reflects the increasing market requirements for production costs and environmental protection. In the future, with the continuous innovation of technology and the continuous expansion of the market, the urea method for producing melamine is expected to play an important role in more fields and inject new vitality into the development of the chemical industry. We should also continue to pay attention to the development of new technologies and new processes in order to gain an advantage in the fierce market competition.