Formica Laminate is a 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 multiple applications. It has been produced by Formica Group manufacturing sites across the globe since. Formica Group are best known for the company's classic product: a heat-resistant, wipe-clean laminate of paper with melamine resin.
The mineral mica was commonly used at that time for electrical insulation. Because the new product acted as a substitute "for mica", the inventors used the name Formica as a trademark.
Founding and initial product development
Formica laminate was invented in 1912 by Daniel J. O'Conor and Herbert A. Faber, while they were working at Westinghouse, resulting in a patent filing on 1 February 1913.[1][2] U.S. Patent No. 1,284,432 was granted on 12 November 1918.