Polyoxymethylene (POM, IUPAC name) is a polymer of formaldehyde (high molecular weight polyoxymethylene), with a general structure length of eight to one hundred units. Long-chain polyoxymethylene is often used to make heat-resistant plastics, also known as polyoxymethylene plastics (POE, Derlin produced by DuPont). Polyoxymethylene decomposes quickly and releases formaldehyde with a slightly smelly odor.