Preparation of porous, nano-sized urea–formaldehyde polymer powder

Nano-sized, porous urea–formaldehyde polymer powder was created by variations of an existing reaction. Formaldehyde was reacted with urea at or below the equimolar stoichiometric ratio. The resulting amorphous white powder did not generate formaldehyde. Increased agitation speed during the generation of polymethylene urea restricted the polymer particles’ growth and introduced porosity. Adding sodium dodecyl benzene sulfonate surfactant at agitation speeds over 1500 rpm resulted in 1–5 μm spherical, porous particles. Adding water glass during the synthesis of polymethylene urea (PMU) limited particles’ growth and facilitated uniform porosity. The polymer powder showed wide potential applicability, e.g. polymer fillers and pigments.