FORMICA

trademark for hard, smooth, surface material used to make various laminated plastic products, especially tabletops and other furniture and wallboards and other constructions. Special papers are impregnated with synthetic resins, such as melamine, then subjected to heat and pressure; about seven sheets are bonded together to form a hard and durable surfacing material, 1/16 inch (about 1 1/2 millimetres) thick. The top sheet is coloured and patterned, and the finish may be either polished or dull. Wood grain and furniture finishes, either shiny or dull, are common. Formica is usually cemented to plywood or other suitable backing. Formica is able to withstand heat, boiling water, food acids, alcohol, and alkalies found in the home and is easily cleaned. The product made for commercial uses, such as in restaurants, may contain a very thin sheet of metal in the laminate to increase resistance to heat.