Paper composite panels are a phenolic resin/cellulose
composite material
A composite or composite material (also composition material) is a material which is produced from two or more constituent materials. These constituent materials have notably dissimilar chemical or physical properties and are merged to create a ...
made from partially recycled
paper
Paper is a thin sheet material produced by mechanically or chemically processing cellulose fibres derived from wood, Textile, rags, poaceae, grasses, Feces#Other uses, herbivore dung, or other vegetable sources in water. Once the water is dra ...
and
phenolic resin
Phenol formaldehyde resins (PF), also called phenolic resins or phenoplasts, are synthetic polymers obtained by the reaction of phenol or substituted phenol with formaldehyde. Used as the basis for Bakelite, PFs were the first commercial synthetic ...
. Multiple layers of paper are soaked in phenolic resin, then molded and baked into net shape in a heated form or press. Originally distributed as a commercial kitchen surface in the 1950s, it has recently been adapted for use in
skateboard
A skateboard is a type of sports equipment used for skateboarding. It is usually made of a specially designed 7–8-ply maple plywood deck and has polyurethane wheels attached to the underside by a pair of skateboarding trucks.
The skateboard ...
parks as well as various other applications, such as residential counters, cabinetry, fiberglass cores, guitar fingerboards, signage, exterior wall cladding, and a variety of architectural applications.
Composition
There are several manufacturers in North America who use a different composition of materials to form the final product. One composition is
cellulose
Cellulose is an organic compound with the chemical formula, formula , a polysaccharide consisting of a linear chain of several hundred to many thousands of glycosidic bond, β(1→4) linked glucose, D-glucose units. Cellulose is an important s ...
fiber and phenolic resin (a type of
polymer
A polymer () is a chemical substance, substance or material that consists of very large molecules, or macromolecules, that are constituted by many repeat unit, repeating subunits derived from one or more species of monomers. Due to their br ...
) which is combined and baked for a smooth hard surface. The natural fibers are made from plant, animal and mineral sources. However most natural fibers are predominantly cellulosic.
File:Cellulose strand.svg, Molecular structure of a cellulose strand
# Cellulose derived from tree pulp is turned into large rolls of paper.
# The paper is then soaked in phenolic resin and goes up to a heating chamber to be dried out before being rolled back up.
# Then hundreds of these sheets are laid on top of each other and with the use of
compression molding
Compression molding is a method of molding (process), molding in which the molding material, generally preheated, is first placed in an open, heated Molding (process), mold cavity. The mold is closed with a top force or plug member, pressure ...
the stack is compacted.
Because of the resin's
thermoset
In materials science, a thermosetting polymer, often called a thermoset, is a polymer that is obtained by irreversibly hardening (" curing") a soft solid or viscous liquid prepolymer (resin). Curing is induced by heat or suitable radiation and ...
properties the resulting cooled material is hard.
Applications
It was used for the
Boeing 747
The Boeing 747 is a long-range wide-body aircraft, wide-body airliner designed and manufactured by Boeing Commercial Airplanes in the United States between 1968 and 2023.
After the introduction of the Boeing 707, 707 in October 1958, Pan Am ...
for their air tables, hydroforming dyes, vacuum chuck faces, work holders, and proofing materials. Architecturally, it is used for countertops.
[ It has also been used for whaleboard in fiberglass boat building. Other commercial uses include cutting boards, prep tables, pizza peels, and the dashboard of a ]pickup truck
A pickup truck or pickup is a Truck_classification#Table_of_US_GVWR_classifications, light or medium duty truck that has an enclosed cabin (truck), cabin, and a back end made up of a cargo bed that is enclosed by three low walls with no roof (th ...
prototype vehicle.
Retrieved 2016-04-01 From 2012 to 2018 guitarmaker
Gibson used ''Richlite'', a paper composite material, for the fingerboard on several top-of-the-line production guitars.
Properties
Even if it is formed by laminating many layers of paper together, the finished material appears as a solid, and is not considered to be a
sandwich panel
A sandwich panel is any structure made of three layers: a low-density core ( PIR, mineral wool, XPS), and a thin skin-layer bonded to each side. Sandwich panels are used in applications where a combination of high structural rigidity and low ...
. Resistance to high temperatures has been claimed to be up to 350 °F.
See also
*
Micarta
Micarta is a brand name for composite material, composites of various fibers integrated in a thermosetting plastic. Materials such as linen, canvas, paper, fiberglass, carbon fiber, or other fabrics are used to form products for electrical and ...
, a group of similar materials, especially if made with paper and
epoxy resin
Epoxy is the family of basic components or cured end products of epoxy resins. Epoxy resins, also known as polyepoxides, are a class of reactive prepolymers and polymers which contain epoxide groups. The epoxide functional group is also co ...
.
*
Ebonol, a paper and phenolic resin compound sometimes used for fingerboards in stringed instruments.
References
{{Reflist
External links
Richlite Company home pageEco-Clad home page
Materials