History and Evolution of WPC Materials

Overview of WPC Materials

Wood-Plastic Composite (WPC) materials are a new type of material composed of biomass materials and thermoplastic plastics. Biomass materials include wood flour, wheat straw, rice husk, hemp, etc., and thermoplastic plastics can be selected based on different uses, such as polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), among others. This material combines the natural beauty of wood with the durability of plastic, making it a preferred material in many fields, including construction, garden landscape design, and furniture manufacturing.

History and Evolution of WPC Materials

WPC is a young and vibrant industry, with a growth history of less than a century. It has been in China for only over 20 years. Through the persistent efforts of many in the WPC industry, especially after the successful use of WPC materials in the construction of the Beijing Olympics venues, "WPC materials" have gained widespread recognition and are developing rapidly.

WPC materials originated after World War II, when the decks of U.S. Navy warships, which roamed the seas for long periods, became heavily corroded by seawater. Thus, the U.S. initiated research institutions and enterprises to develop a new type of material that could replace traditional ship decks without being affected by seawater erosion. By the late 1970s, this new material and technology began to be applied to civilian products, including outdoor flooring, boardwalks, railings, etc. In the 1980s, it spread to Canada and by the 1990s to countries like Singapore and Japan. WPC materials entered China around 1998 and quickly formed an industry there. Today, China's WPC industry has become the largest in the world and is one of the few new material fields that can compete with developed countries, although it still leads in scale rather than complete technological advancement.

Currently, WPC materials are widely used in residential areas, with products including indoor decorative materials such as door frames, blinds, wall panels, and other decorative trims, as well as exterior wall decorations, outdoor products, municipal facilities, packaging materials, household items, daily necessities, automobile parts, and more. Due to the characteristics of WPC materials, such as being lightweight, high rigidity, acid and alkali resistance, waterproof, insect-proof, and free of formaldehyde and benzene decoration issues, and being recyclable, the application fields are continuously expanding.