Wiki says Formica is a paper or cloth laminate impregnated with melamine resin. It sounds a lot like phenolic or garolite with a glossy finish. I'm guessing the resin is laced with dye or metal flakes (or both), since it comes in a variety of colors. I doubt it is suitable dielectric for RF pulse caps. Not a big deal, since polyethyleneand polypropylene sheet and film is widely available to home-brewers.
I use a white plastic laminate (Formica, Wilsonart, et al) as a substrate to mount my MMC caps on, and have never had any problem with it.
Jon
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