Laminate

Description

When used as a noun, laminate refers to a substance constructed from multiple individual layers. The layers in a laminate are usually held together by an adhesive. Multiple layers are used to increase strength, thickness, and to provide surface protection. Examples of laminates are Plywood and Formica.

When used as a verb, laminate refers to adding a protective film or sheet to a substrate, The purpose of a laminate is to seal a substrate, such as wood from emitting volatile organics. Such a laminate is referred to as a Barrier material. Examples include Marvelseal, Aclar and ESCAL.

Synonyms and Related Terms

laminé (Fr.); stratifié (Fr.); laminado (Port.); laminates (pl.); laminant (sp); lamination (process); laminating;

Resources and Citations

• Ralph Mayer, A Dictionary of Art Terms and Techniques, Harper and Row Publishers, New York, 1969 (also 1945 printing)
• Theodore J. Reinhart, 'Glossary of Terms', Engineered Plastics, ASM International, 1988
• Matt Roberts, Don Etherington, Bookbinding and the Conservation of Books: a Dictionary of Descriptive Terminology, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington DC, 1982
• Random House, Webster's Encyclopedic Unabridged Dictionary of the English Language, Grammercy Book, New York, 1997
• Art and Architecture Thesaurus Online, http://www.getty.edu/research/tools/vocabulary/aat/, J. Paul Getty Trust, Los Angeles, 2000