Method of preparing melamine-formaldehyde resins, including vacuum dehydration

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR PREPARING A FAST CURING THERMOSETTING RESIN COMPOSITION, CAPABLE OF PRODUCING CLEAR MOLDED ARTICLES, COMPRISING REACTING MELAMINE AND FORMALDEYDE IN A MOL RATIO OF 1:1.5 TO 1:2.5, RESPECTIVELY, TO FORM A CONDENSATION PRODUCT, DEHYDRATING THE REACTION PRODUCT BY HEATING UNDER A VACUUM OF AT LEAST 52 CENTIMETERS UNTIL THE RESIN TEMPERATURE IS BETWEEN ABOUT 75-95* C. THEREAFTER ADDING A MIXTURE OF AN ACID HAVING A DISSOCIATION CONSTANT GREATER THAN 1.0X10-5 AND A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALKYL ALKYLOL TERTIARY AMINES AND SUBSTITUTED ALKYL ALKYLOL TERTIARY AMINES WHEREIN THE SUBSTITUTED SUBSTITUENT IS SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CHLORO, BROMO AND NITRO RADICALS HAVING A MOLECULAR WEIGHT LESS THAN 140 AND DRYING THE MIXTURE TO MOLDING PLASTICITY WHEREIN AT LEAST THE FINAL PART OF SAID DRYING IS ACCOMPLISHED IN A COMMINUTED STATE, WHEREIN THE WEIGHT RATIO OF SAID RESIN TO SAID ACID-AMINE MIXTURE IS 1:0.001 TO 1:0.05, RESPECTIVELY, AND WHEREIN THE WEIGHT RATIO OF SAID ACID TO SAID AMINE IS 1:0.5 TO 1:20, RESPECTIVELY.