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This paper aims to study the direct synthesis of imino methyl ether amino resin using commercially available formaldehyde, melamine and methanol through one-step two-stage catalysis.

Initially, melamine undergoes a reaction with formaldehyde to form hydroxylmethylation melamine in a basic setting. Subsequently, hydrochloric acid is incorporated to facilitate the etherification process. The study delves into the impact of various factors during the etherification phase, including the quantity of methanol, the temperature at which etherification occurs, the number of etherification cycles and the amount of catalyst used, on the synthesis of imino methyl-etherified amino resins. Ultimately, the most favorable conditions for etherification are identified through comparative analysis to evaluate the resulting synthesized products.

The methyl-etherified amino resin, characterized by a stable structure and consistent performance, was efficiently synthesized through a one-step, two-stage catalytic process. Optimal conditions for the etherification stage were determined to be a reaction temperature of 35°C, a melamine to methanol ratio of 1:24 and an addition of hydrochloric acid ranging from 2.2 mL to 2.5 mL. Remarkably, the resulting resin notably enhanced the water resistance, salt resistance and gloss of the canned iron printing varnish coatings.

Amino resins, known for their broad applications across numerous industries, face sustainability and operational efficiency hurdles when produced through traditional methods, which predominantly involve the use of a 37% formaldehyde solution. To tackle these issues, our research introduces an innovative method that add 37% formaldehyde to facilitate industrial production. The use of 37% liquid formaldehyde in this paper has two benefits: first, it is convenient for industrial application and production; Second, it is convenient to provide mild reaction conditions at lower concentrations because the amino group is relatively active, which is convenient for the preservation of the amino group and integrates it with a one-step, two-stage catalytic process. The primary objective of our study is threefold: to reduce the environmental footprint of amino resin synthesis, to optimize the use of resources and to improve the economic viability for its large-scale production. By employing this new strategy, we try to provide a more sustainable and efficient manufacturing process for amino resins.

This study sits at the intersection of financial planning and FinTech, focusing on robo-advisory, an affordable and accessible digital financial advisory service. Individuals’ lack of trust has resulted in low adoption of robo-advice. This study aims to understand the psychological process of how individuals build trust in robo-advice, helping them engage with it more effectively and access affordable financial advice.

Using a trust transfer theory framework and 15 semi-structured interviews, this study identifies the sources people rely on to build trust in robo-advice.

The authors highlight four themes – social influence, psychological comfort, safeguarding and compliance and personal capacity – that shape individuals’ trust in robo-advice. In addition to direct trust in robo-advice, firm-specific trust and system trust can also transfer to trust in robo-advice. This study finds that financial literacy and risk tolerance moderate individuals’ trust in robo-advice, while psychological comfort first shapes trust and then drives adoption. The findings suggest that even young, tech-savvy individuals may not fully benefit from robo-advice due to low personal capability. They also prefer a hybrid model, where combining robo-advice with traditional advisory services could offer greater benefits.

This study details the concept of trust in the robo-advice context into three dimensions: technology trust, firm-specific trust and system trust. Existing research on robo-advice lacks quantitative tests on firm-specific and systemic trust; therefore, this qualitative exploratory study offers foundational theoretical insights.