Production of wood plastics composites in Europe is forecast to grow by an average 13% annually up to 2015, when it will reach almost 360,000 t, produced predominantly through profile extrusion, according to a recent report – “European wood plastics composites market” – by the Hackwell Group (Tunbridge Wells / UK; www.woodplasticcomposites.org). The growth in production is slower than in the five years to 2010 during which it rose to 193,000 t/y, as a result of the continuing difficulties in European economies, the researcher said.

European WPC production began around 40 years ago in the automotive sector and in recent years has diversified and grown rapidly. Decking is now by far the largest application area with 75% of (non-automotive) output and WPC is now chosen for many other exterior and interior applications. Much of the predicted growth is still expected to be in construction applications, Hackwell says, most of which will be extruded. Important end-uses in the construction sector, excluding decking, include siding or cladding, fencing and window applications. Germany, France and Belgium are among the most significant WPC producing countries in Europe.

Injection moulded products have been successfully used in a wide range of end uses including paper manufacturing applications and musical instruments, as well as vehicle and shoe parts, while other processing technologies have been adopted in the automotive sector, which accounts for 30% of output. Furniture components offer considerable potential for WPC in the medium term and a number of products are successfully being marketed, the report says. In addition to European manufacture, imports of WPC from both the US and Asia have become increasingly important, particularly in the construction sector.

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Hackwell Group's report "Wood Plastics Composites in Europe" (2011) as a PDF document