Formica laminate is a laminated composite material invented at the Westinghouse Electric Corporation in the United States in 1912. Originally used to replace mica in electrical applications, it has since been manufactured for a variety of applications. The product is today produced by New Zealand-based Formica Group since 2007. The word Formica refers to the company's classic product: a heat-resistant, wipe-clean laminate of paper or textile with melamine resin.
Today, the product name Formica refers primarily to the decorative product composed of several layers of kraft paper impregnated with melamine thermosetting resin, or a unified core, and topped with a decorative layer protected by melamine, then compressed and cured with heat to make a hard, durable surface.
