Abstract
Wood Plastics Composites in Europe 2006: Analysis - Technology - Market Opportunities
There have been considerable technical and commercial developments in Europe
in the wood plastics composites business since the 2003 edition of the
Hackwell Report. Therefore an updated and expanded edition (285 pages) has now
been published (April 2006). There is also a shorter 'Executive Overview'
version, at a much reduced price, which contains key chapters from the 2006
Report and a separate introduction.
The New Hackwell Report addresses such questions as:
♦ What are WPCs? ♦ What are their properties? ♦ What
materials will they replace? ♦ What standards and specifications apply?
♦ What raw materials go into WPC formulations? ♦ How easy is WPC
to extrude and injection mould? ♦ How can WPCs combine the best features
of wood and plastics? ♦ Where are the major market opportunities in
Europe? ♦ What will be the successful routes to market? ♦ Who are
the major WPC players in Europe and what do they do?
Where are the greatest opportunities for these New Materials? And how can Europe imitate North American success?
WPCs offer many of the advantages of wood combined with the processability of
plastic materials. However, WPCs are not merely wood substitutes. They can be
sawn, nailed, screwed and worked like wood, yet also extruded and moulded like
plastics; they offer greater durability and moisture resistance than softwood.
Who Should Read this Report?
This report (available in two versions) will be of enormous value to anyone
with a stake in the future of Wood Plastics Composites or considering entry
into the market:
• Profile Extrusion Companies • Injection Moulders • Machinery
Suppliers • Manufacturers of Windows, Door Frames, Skirting Boards and
other Building Components • Resin Suppliers • Additive Suppliers
• Recycling Organisations • Architects and Designers •
Construction Companies • Wood Suppliers • Producers of Wood-based
Furniture • DIY Chains, Garden Centres and other Major Retail Groups
• Technical Research Institutes • Environmental Groups • Local
Government Authorities and other Major Institutional Purchasers •
Table of Contents
Wood Plastics Composites in Europe
Glossary
Executive Summary
1. What this report is about
- Wood Plastics Composites (WPC)
- What is meant by "wood"?
- Structure of the Report
- Geographic scope
- Markets
- Fabrication processes
- Status of the information provided
2. Frequently asked questions
- What is WPC?
- What are the raw materials for WPC?
- Can money be made from WPC?
- What are the alternatives to ordinary wood fibres in WPC?
- Is WPC really a new technology?
- How different is one WPC brand or grade from another?
- Could any other materials be confused with WPC?
- Will Europe follow US trends?
- Is WPC environmentally-friendly?
- What can WPC be used for?
- Does WPC need a special approach to product design?
- So what is the difference between first and second generation WPC?
- Where does WPC fit in the market place?
- Is WPC competitive on price?
- To summarise, what advantages does WPC offer?
3. Technical performance of wood-plastics composites
- Quality of the data
- Density (specific gravity)
- Workability
- Dimensional stability in fluctuating temperatures
- Joining two WPC parts
- Appearance
- Outdoor durability
- Water absorption
- Flammability
- Mechanical properties of WPC
- Time dependent effects (viscoelasticity)
- Fatigue properties
- Rheological properties
- Friction and anti-skid properties
- Abrasion
- Special types of WPC
4. Environmental profile
- Introduction
- Materials
- Production
- Use
- End-of-life
- Quantitative Life Cycle Assessment
- Relevant eco-labels
- Conclusion
5. Raw materials: wood and other fillers
- Ordinary wood from trees
- Size and shape of wood particles
- Composition of wood
- Characteristics of wood
- Wood suppliers
- Newsprint and other waste paper
- MDF (medium density fibreboard) dust
- Mineral and other fillers, and nanofillers
- Natural fibres as competitors for wood in (mainly automotive) plastics
- Health and safety hazards of wood and related fillers
6. Raw materials: resins
- The role of resin in WPC compositions
- Compatibility between resin and fibres
- How much resin to use
- Why polyolefins are the first choice
- Density and melt flow index (MFI) of polyethylene
- Polypropylene
- Polystyrene and ABS
- PVC
- Engineering thermoplastics
- Thermosetting resins
- Effect of resins on fire performance
- Effect of thermoplastic resin type on mechanical properties
- What happens when crude oil becomes scarce?
- Recycled resins
7. Processing and fabrication
- Introduction
- Sheet
- Wood content of extruded mixes
- Stages of the extrusion process
- Extruding the mix
- Throughput rates
- Raw materials
- Wood preparation
- Avoidance of preliminary drying
- Blending and compounding
- Types of extruder
- Defects in WPC profiles
- Tooling, calibration, cooling and haul-off
- Surface finishing
- Inducing orientation in WPC
- Extrusion equipment manufacturers
- Injection moulding WPC
- Other fabrication processes
- Foaming WPC
8. Additives
- Introduction
- Reasons for using additives in WPC
- Types of additive available
- Colorants
- Special effect colorants
- Lubricants
- Coupling agents/compatibilisers
- Biocides (antimicrobials)
- Stabilisers and antioxidants
- Impact modifiers for PVC-based WPC
- Flame retardants
- Dispersing agents
- Other additives
- Environmental issues associated with additives
9. Production economics
- Licensing
- Capital expenditure
- Raw material handling
- Compounding
- Extruding the mix
- Tooling, calibration, cooling
- Surface finishing
- Raw material costs
10. Standards & legislation
- Introduction
- Tests
- Material Tests
- Product tests
- Regulations
11. Regional factors
- Introduction
- Similarities between European and North American markets
- Contrasting size of North American and European WPC companies
- Products
- Economic differences within Europe
- Marketing differences within Europe
12. Current and potential markets in Europe
- European economic background
- Overall WPC market in Europe
- Applications of WPC in building and construction
- The European automotive sector
- The furniture market in Europe
- Infrastructure
- Miscellaneous products
- Injection moulding
13. Suppliers of WPC
14. Barriers to entry
- Introduction
- Polymer and wood technologies differ
- Cost of WPC sector entrance
- Poor image of recycled materials
- Lack of standards and specifications for recycled materials
- Availability of post-consumer and post-industrial materials across Europe
- Lack of standards and specifications for end-products
- Cost advantage not immediately apparent
- Lack of a large volume market in Europe
- Conservative customers
- Poor marketing
- Applications restricted by lack of impact and bending strength
- Conclusions
15. Distribution
16. Conclusions and strategies for the future
- Market size and growth rate
- Recent progress
- Environmental impact
- Specific market areas
- Strategies
APPENDIX A. Some contacts in universities and technical institutes
