Resilient foam based on a melamine-formaldehyde condensate

A resilient reticulated foam based on a melamine/formaldehyde condensate which contains not less than 50% by weight of melamine and formaldehyde as condensed units, and from 0 to 50% by weight of other compounds selected from the group consisting of alkyl-substituted melamine, urea, urethanes, carboxylic acid amides, dicyandiamide, guanidine, sulfurylamide, sulfonic acid amides, aliphatic amines, phenol and phenol derivates and containing amino, amide, hydroxyl or carboxyl groups and capable of forming thermosetting resins, and aldehydes selected from the group consisting of acetaldehyde, trimethylolacetaldehyde, acrolein, benzaldehyde, furfuraldehyde, glyoxal, phthalaldehyde and terephthalaldehyde and which react therewith to form such resins, as co-condensed units, which resilient foam exhibits the following properties:

• (a) the bulk density, measured according to DIN 53,420, is from 4 to 80 [g.l.sup.-1 ];
• (b) the heat conductivity measured according to DIN 52,612, is less than 0.06 [W.m.sup.-1..sup.o K.sup.-1 ];
• (c) the compressive strength, measured according to DIN 53,577 at 60% compression, divided by the bulk density, is less than 0.30 [N.cm.sup.-2 /g.l.sup.-1 ], and in determining the compressive strength at 60% compression the foam must recover to not less than 90% of its original height;
• (d) the modulus of elasticity, measured by methods similar to DIN 53,423, divided by the bulk density is less than 0.25 [N.mm.sup.-2 /g.l.sup.-1 ];
• (e) the deflection on break, measured according to DIN 53,423, is greater than 9 [mm];
• and
• (f) the foams are of not more than normal flammability when assessed according to DIN 4,120.