High Pressure Laminate Sheet (HPL)
HPL is made of resin impregnated cellulose layers, which are consolidated under heat and high pressure. The various layers are overlay paper, which serves to improve the abrasion, scratch and heat-resistance. Decorative paper, which defines the design and is composed of colored or printed paper.
High Pressure Laminate or HPL, is the direct descendent of the original plastic laminate. It is considered to be one of the most durable decorative surface materials and is available with special performance properties including chemical, fire and wear resistance.
HPL is produced by saturating multiple layers of kraft paper with phenolic resin. A layer of printed décor paper is placed on top of the kraft paper before pressing. The resulting sandwich is fused together under heat and pressure (more than 1,000 PSI). Because phenolic and melamine resins are thermoset plastics, the curing process transforms the resin into plastic by a cross linking process that converts the paper sheets into a single, rigid laminated sheet. Thermosetting creates strong, irreversible bonds that contribute to its durability.
HPL comes in varying thickness from 1mm upto 9.5mm and dimension of 6 ‘ x 3’, 8’ x 4’ and 10’ x 4’