Exhibit a(7)

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact for Melamine Chemicals, Inc.:
Fred Huber, President and Chief Executive Officer
Wayne D. DeLeo, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Telephone:  (504) 473-3121
Fax:  (504) 473-0550



  MELAMINE CHEMICALS, INC. ANNOUNCES EARLY TERMINATION  OF
           THE HART-SCOTT-RODINO WAITING PERIOD
   RELATING TO THE TENDER OFFER BY BORDEN CHEMICAL, INC.
      FOR THE COMMON STOCK OF MELAMINE CHEMICALS, INC.

     DONALDSONVILLE,   LOUISIANA  --  October  31,  1997  --
Melamine  Chemicals,  Inc.   announced  today  that  it  has
received notification of early  termination  of  the waiting
period  under  the  Hart-Scott-Rodino Antitrust Improvements
Act  of  1976 in connection  with  the  acquisition  of  the
Company by  Borden Chemical, Inc. pursuant to a tender offer
commenced on October 15, 1997.

     The tender  offer and withdrawal rights thereunder will
expire at 12:00 Midnight,  New  York City time, on Thursday,
November 13, 1997, unless the tender offer is extended.

     Melamine Chemicals, based in  Donaldsonville,  La.,  is
engaged in the production and marketing of melamine crystal.
Melamine  Chemicals is also active in the development of new
melamine process and application technology.  The Company is
one of only  two  producers of melamine in North America and
one of the three largest worldwide.