Wood-plastic composite materials are made from recycled plastics combined with waste plant fibers such as wood flour, rice husk, and straw to form a new type of wood material. These materials are processed into boards or profiles using plastic processing technologies like extrusion molding. This article will focus on analyzing the WPC advantages.
The raw materials needed to produce wood-plastic composite materials are abundant. Recycled plastics, made from the recycling and reuse of waste plastics, not only have wide availability but also possess the practical functions of being environmentally friendly and cost-effective. Various types of wood flour and plant fibers, such as agricultural and industrial waste like sawdust, wood flour, wood scraps, rice husk, straw, bamboo powder, etc., can be used as raw materials.
With the dual characteristics of wood and plastic, wood-plastic materials overcome the shortcomings of wooden materials, such as high water absorption, easy deformation and cracking, and susceptibility to insect infestation and mold. They maintain the affinity of solid wood while also featuring properties like moisture resistance, water resistance, acid and alkali resistance, fungus inhibition, anti-static, and insect resistance. The main manufacturing processes of wood-plastic materials include extrusion molding, hot press molding, and injection molding. Currently, extrusion molding is the most widely used and technologically mature process.
Environmental protection and recycling economy are prominent WPC advantages. The processing of wood-plastic composite materials also generates scraps and waste. Due to the special nature of the product formulation, these scraps and waste, and even used wood-plastic composite material products, can be recycled, crushed, and reprocessed into products. Therefore, the production technology of wood-plastic composite materials essentially integrates, recycles, and reuses resources, possessing significant economic and social value.
According to StrategyR, the global wood-plastic composite materials market size was estimated at 5.619 billion USD in 2022, and it is expected to reach 12.598 billion USD by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 10.62%. North America is the largest market for wood-plastic composite materials, with a considerable usage volume. Due to the numerous WPC advantages and their wide application scenarios, the market size has maintained a rapid growth rate. The market size in North America is projected to grow from 1.492 billion USD in 2022 to 2.916 billion USD by 2030, with a compound annual growth rate of 8.74%.