HPL panels

What is HPL, what are its types and where is it used?

Laminate is a multicomponent material consisting of the layers of kraft paper. In the course of manufacturing process, the paper is impregnated with thermo-reactive phenol resins and pressed under pressure.
There are two methods of pressing: low-pressure and high-pressure.

Depending on the method, laminates are categorized as:

• LPL, or low-pressure laminate
• HPL, or high-pressure laminate

LPL has the thickness of up to 0.5 mm, and HPL more than 0.5 mm.
If the material has the outer layer with melamine-based décor, it is called decorative high-pressure laminate (DHPL).
HPL with the thickness of 2 mm or more is self-bearing. Unlike thin, rolled plastics, this material is board-shaped. The plastic of this type is called compact board or compact laminate.

Three-layer HPL board:

• overlay
• decorative layer
• core layer

The overlay consists of transparent paper and serves to protect décor against external physical and chemical impact, thus increasing the board’s overall wear resistance.
An HPL board may have a decorative layer either on one or on both sides. The inner layer of a compact board is, as a rule, black or brown, but it can be made in other colors as well.
The range of our company’s products includes premium-class HPL boards with arctic white inner layer.

Purpose of use

In terms of the purpose of use, compact laminates are categorized as:

• Interior
• Exterior
• Highly fire-resistant

An exterior HPL board differs from its interior counterpart by the existence of a protective layer which prevents the fading of décor under sunlight from the impact of ultraviolet. As a rule, UV stabilization of the façade board is available on one outer side only. The inner side of an HPL board has a different décor than the face side (usually of black color) to eliminate errors when installing ventilated HPL façade.
An interior HPL board does not have UV protection, and therefore, its price is lower.

Main advantages of HPL boards

• Very high durability
• Moisture resistance: neutral to water and steam impact
• Wear resistance: shock-, dent- and scratch-resistant
• Healthiness: can be cleaned using aggressive chemical detergents

Areas of HPL application

• Rolling stock manufacturing, shipbuilding, aircraft manufacturing (interior surface finishing)
• Specialized (laboratory, medical, sports) furniture
• Finishing work at healthcare institutions (protective wall strips (rub rails), trim strips, wall finishing in “sterile rooms”)
• Manufacture of furniture (facades, kitchen counters, countertops, washbowl counters)
• Manufacture of outdoor and garden furniture (bar and restaurant tables, benches, trashcans)
• Manufacture of waterproof structures (restroom and shower partitions, changing room lockers)
• Interior finishing (wall boarding, windowsills, radiator screens)
• Exterior finishing (ventilated facades, balcony rails)