Technical Commission

Over the course of the past year, the Technical Commission has also been involved in many topics which have a significant impact on the manufacture of HPL. Revision of the HPL Standard EN 438 has been concluded. The Commission’s Chair Dr. Lutz Reitzel led a discussion on formaldehyde, which focused on new test methods and threshold values. The group is observing the current debate surrounding titanium dioxide and the SVHC List in accordance with the REACh Directive.
The Technical Leaflet “Formaldehyde Emission Standards for Composite Wood Productsin US” (CARB ATCM Phase 2 and EPA TSCA Title VI) was completely checked and revised.

In the coming years, the Technical Commission will turn its attention to an expert scrutiny of several language versions of the HPL Compendium. Participants also intend to look in detail at the topic of sustainable product development.

The following leaflets will be prepared at the next TC meetings:

• Chemical resistance
• HPL in contact with foodstuffs
• FAQ’s on HPL
• Electrical properties
• Facades