Invention
Formica was invented in 1912 by Daniel J. O'Conor and Herbert A. Faber, then working at Westinghouse which filed for a patent on it. They originally conceived it as a substitute for mica used as electrical insulation, made of wrapped woven fabric coated with Bakelite thermosetting resin, then slit lengthwise, flattened, and cured in a press. They left Westinghouse immediately afterwards.
The name Formica now refers primarily to the decorative product composed of several layers of kraft paper impregnated with melamine thermosetting resin and topped with a decorative layer protected by melamine, then compressed and cured with heat to make a hard, durable surface.
Read more about this topic: Formica (plastic)
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