History
Bakelite, a composite made from phenol formaldehyde resin and a filler such as wood flour, is considered to be a precursor to WPC. The first commercial product to be manufactured from Bakelite was a control stick for Rolls Royce made in 1916. In the following decades, only few companies have manufactured products from WPC. Since the 1990s, however, the market has been rapidly developing.
Multifunctional
For more information on the application areas of WPC, see WPC Applications.
Bakelite, a composite made from phenol formaldehyde resin and a filler such as wood flour, is considered to be a precursor to WPC. The first commercial product to be manufactured from Bakelite was a control stick for Rolls Royce made in 1916. In the following decades, only few companies have manufactured products from WPC. Since the 1990s, however, the market has been rapidly developing.
Multifunctional
For more information on the application areas of WPC, see WPC Applications.
Growth rates of up to 30 per cent
Many engineers and companies have been convinced by the advantages of this biocomposite, resulting in the emergence of many new mixtures and applications. The WPC market is experiencing high growth rates worldwide:
- The overall volume of WPC on the North-American market in 2005 is estimated at 700,000 tons.
- In 2006 China produced about 75,000 tons of WPC.
- The production volume in 2007 is estimated to amount to roughly 100,000 tons in Europe and to some 30,000 tons in Germany.
Experts anticipate annual growth rates of 20 to 30 per cent. New application areas are expected in particular for injection-moulded products, for example in the automotive and furniture industries.