Abstract: A light weight, high temperature, laminate is made of a plurality of heat and pressure consolidated porous, interlocked, needle-punched, polyethylene terephthalate continuous filament mats, impregnated with a thermoset resin to a treated ratio of from about 2 to about 5.

Abstract: A fire-resistant laminate is made, comprising a plurality of heat and pressure consolidated thermoset resin impregnated filler sheets, where the filler sheets before resin impregnation comprised from about 60 wt. % to about 90 wt. % inorganic filler, up to about 25 wt. % cellulose fibers and from about 0.5 wt. % to about 20 wt. % resinous binder.

Abstract: An ultra thin laminate is made by: (1) assembling a laminate stack-up consisting of: one paper sheet having a top decorative surface and a bottom surface coated with a resinous film, about 0.25 mil to about 5 mil thick, effective to opacify the paper and provide a barrier to resin flow, and one abrasion resistant protective overlay sheet disposed in contact with the decorative surface of the paper sheet; (2) heat and pressure consolidating the stack-up to form a unitary decorative laminate having a thickness of between about 5 mil and about 15 mil, and having a resinous film on one side that is glue adherable.

Abstract: A wax composition, useful as a ski wax is made, comprising a rigid wax matrix, and from about 3 wt.% to about 45 wt.% of a thermoplastic, water soluble polymer disposed within the wax matrix. The ski wax provides a surface where the water soluble polymer will be leached out of the rigid wax matrix upon contact with water, to provide a boundary lubricant film.

Abstract: A substrate is made for use as a top layer in a laminate; the substrate being impregnated with, and having a continuous film on its surface of, a dried, catalyzed, uncured resin, comprising the reaction product of 1 mole of melamine, about 1.8 moles to about 2.7 moles of uninhibited formaldehyde and about 0.05 mole to about 0.40 mole of urea; where the resin content of the substrate is between about 50 wt.% to about 85 wt.%, and the dried, continuous film on the substrate layer will cure within about 30 seconds to about 90 seconds, under pressures of between about 150 psi. to about 500 psi, without the formation of a discontinuous film.

Abstract: A snow ski is made by superimposing a protective assembly of polyacrylate sheets on a flexible core of a ski body having a bonded base surface and sidewall surfaces and then bonding the polyacrylate sheets to the ski core forming a top protective ski surface, the protective assembly being consolidated at a temperature and pressure effective to stress relieve the polyacrylate sheets.

Abstract: A highly machinable, shapeable decorative laminate is made from a non-abrasive base core consisting of a plurality of sheets, each sheet consisting essentially of cotton linter fibers in paper form containing a curd phenolic resin, the core having superimposed thereon a print sheet impregnated with a cured thermoset resin.

Abstract: High yield resin saturable papers containing total lignin, based on paper weight, in amounts from about 8 up to 15 percent are employed as core stock for high pressure decorative melamine laminates. At least 65 percent of the fibers should be hardwood fibers. Up to 35 percent of softwood fibers may be present but then the softwood lignin, based on paper weight, should not be greater than about 2.8 percent.

Abstract: A melamine-aldehyde resin is disclosed of a composition of melamine-aldehyde, a water-soluble, aliphatic diglycidyl ether, and water. The composition is cured to the A-stage and an absorbent sheet is impregnated with the resin which is then cured to the B-stage. At least one B-staged sheet is stacked with a postformable core stock and heated and pressed to form a C-staged postformable laminate. The laminate can be heated and pressed to postform it. The postformed laminate can be adhesively bonded to a substrate to form a counter top or other article.

Abstract: A colored decorative plastic laminate is made from a core layer and a superimposed decorative layer comprising: a fibrous material, coloring particles having a Moh's hardness of up to about 6 and an average particle size range of between about 53 to 210 microns, and thermoset resin; where the weight ratio of fiber material:coloring particles is from about 1:0.04 to 1:0.4 and the colored decorative layer is characterized in that the pigments are dispersed only through the bottom two-thirds of the colored layer and concentrated in the colored layer near the core-decorative layer interface, the top one-third of the colored layer containing substantially no pigment particles.

Abstract: A snow ski is made by superimposing a protective assembly of polyacrylate sheets on a flexible core of a ski body having a bonded base surface and sidewall surfaces and then bounding the polyacrylate sheets to the ski core forming a top protective ski surface, the protective assembly being consolidated at a temperature and pressure effective to stress relieve the polyacrylate sheets.

Abstract: High yield resin saturable papers containing total lignin, based on paper weight, in amounts from about 8 up to 15 percent are employed as core stock for high pressure decorative melamine laminates. At least 65 percent of the fibers should be hardwood fibers. Up to 35 percent of softwood fibers may be present but then the softwood lignin, based on paper weight, should not be greater than about 2.8 percent.