Melamine laminate is a hard resin commonly used as an overlay for building materials like MDF or plywood. In its most basic form, melamine is an organic compound that when combined with formaldehyde forms a durable thermosetting plastic. This 'plastic' is then added to a paper base to form the laminate that covers a variety of materials and household objects.
Melamine is a laminate, but not all laminates are melamine. Following? When melamine laminates are manufactured, they’re created by molding a melamine/formaldehyde combo into a durable plastic sheet. This is done by applying a certain amount of pressure-per-square-inch to the laminate. However, the amount of pressure applied changes the classification of the laminate. Melamine is a low pressure laminate (LPL) because it is made with a pressure of 300-500 pounds-per-square-inch. High pressure laminate (HPL), also called Formica, is made with over 1400 pounds-per-square-inch of pressure.