Process for the manufacturing of a decorative laminate, a decorative laminate obtained by the process and use thereof

A process for manufacturing a decorative substantially isometric thermosetting laminate (1) comprising an isometric core (2), a primary surface layer (10) and optionally a secondary surface layer (20), comprising

• i) A. mixing 85 parts by weight of particles, which particles have an average particle size of 5-3000 μm with 15-85 parts by weight of a thermosetting resin in the form of a powder, wherein the resin is selected from the group consisting of a phenol-formaldehyde resin, a melamine formaldehyde resin, a urea-formaldehyde resin and a mixture thereof, wherein the mixing takes place in an extruder;
• B. kneading the mixture energetically so that friction heat is formed, which friction heat is not allowed to exceed 150° C.;
• and
• C. bonding the soft thermosetting resin to or impregnating the particles,
• D. those particles that possibly are joined by the thermosetting resin are divided and an agglomerate of thermoplastic resin and particles is formed which agglomerate has an average particle size of 200-3000 μm and a resin content of 10-50% by weight;
• ii) drying the particle/resin mixture to a water content below 10% by weight;
• iii a) distributing the dried particle/resin mixture evenly on one member selected from the group consisting of a carrier (30);
• a pressing belt (41) of a continuous laminate press (40);
• and a press plate (51) of a discontinuous laminate press (50), and is thereafter continuously or discontinuously compressed at a temperature of 60-120° C., and a pressure of 15-400 bars so that the particle/resin agglomerate flows out without completely curing the resin whereby a pre-fabricated isometric core (2) is obtained, that the pre-fabricated core is fed in between one member selected from the group consisting of the press belts (41) of a continuous laminate press (40) and a press plate (51) of a discontinuous laminate press (50) together with a primary surface layer (10), which is provided with a decorative layer, and optionally a secondary layer (20) and is thereafter continuously or discontinuously compressed at a temperature of 120-200° C., and a pressure of 15-300 bar, so that the resin cures, whereby a decorative thermosetting laminate provided with an isometric core is obtained, or
• b) drying the dried particle resin/mixture evenly on one member selected from the group consisting of a carrier (30), a pressing belt (41) of a continuous laminate press (40) and on a press plate (51) of a discontinuous laminate press (50) and is thereafter continuously or discontinuously compressed at a temperature of 120-200° C., and a pressure of 15-300 bar, so that the resin cures, whereby an isometric core (2) is formed, and that the core (2) is provided with a primary surface layer (10) and optionally a secondary surface layer (20) simultaneously with or after the pressing.