Consumers' perception of melamine particleboard: misunderstanding and truth

Melamine particleboard is a man-made board widely used in furniture, cabinets and interior decoration. Despite its advantages such as wear resistance, high temperature resistance and easy cleaning, many consumers still have misunderstandings about it, and even have negative associations with the name "melamine".

1. Common misunderstandings of consumers

"Melamine = toxic"

Due to the influence of the melamine milk powder incident in 2008, some consumers have an instinctive resistance to the name "melamine", mistakenly believing that all products containing melamine are harmful to health.

Truth:

Melamine resin is a thermosetting plastic with stable chemical properties after curing and will not release toxic substances.

"Particleboard = inferior material"

Some consumers believe that particleboard is "cheap board pressed from wood chips", which is easy to deform and not durable.

The truth:

High-quality melamine particleboard uses a high-density substrate and environmentally friendly adhesives. Its bending strength (≥15MPa) and wear resistance (≥600 turns) meet national standards and are suitable for most furniture scenarios.

The product life of well-known brands (such as Kronospan and Daya Board) can reach more than 10 years.

"Melamine finishes are easy to fall off"

Some consumers are worried that melamine finishes will peel off or bubble due to long-term use.

The truth:

Melamine finishes from regular manufacturers use high-temperature and high-pressure processes, which are tightly bonded to the substrate and will not fall off during normal use.

Damage to the finish is usually caused by inferior boards or long-term soaking in water.

2. Sources of cognitive bias

The proliferation of inferior products in the low-end market

Some small manufacturers use inferior adhesives or low-density substrates, which makes the boards susceptible to moisture and deformation, affecting consumers' trust in the entire category.

Lack of industry popularization

Most consumers do not understand the chemical stability of melamine resin and have negative associations based on the name alone.

Problems caused by improper use

Using ordinary MFP in a humid environment (such as a bathroom) causes expansion and deformation.

Scratching the surface with sharp objects, mistakenly thinking it is "not wear-resistant".

3. How to correct misunderstandings?

Strengthen consumer education

Industry associations and companies can explain the safety of melamine resin to the public through popular science articles, test reports, etc.

Provide comparative experiments (such as wear resistance tests, high temperature resistance demonstrations) at the sales end to enhance consumer confidence.

Improve industry standards

The government should strengthen market supervision and crack down on inferior melamine particleboard.

Promote E0/ENF grade environmental protection standards to reduce formaldehyde emission problems.

Optimize product naming

Some manufacturers have begun to use names such as "melamine veneer" to avoid negative associations with "melamine".

4. Conclusion

Consumers' misunderstanding of melamine particleboard mainly stems from historical events, the proliferation of inferior products and knowledge blind spots. In fact, high-quality MFP is a safe, durable and environmentally friendly building material. Through industry standardization, consumer education and market optimization, melamine particleboard is expected to gain wider market recognition.