Wood-Plastic Composites: Technologies and Global Markets

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A BCC Research Plastics Report PLS034B Use this report

composites (WPCs), cellulosic plastics, plastic lumber

advantages and disadvantages Identify major trends

products Track growth in many sectors of wood-plastic

in producing these products Assess major participants,

and standards crucial to understanding the industry.

1 A BCC Research Plastics Report PLS034B Use this report to: Learn about the products such as wood-plastic composites (WPCs), cellulosic plastics, plastic lumber and natural fiber composites; their applications, advantages and disadvantages Identify major trends within the global market for applications of these products Track growth in many sectors of wood-plastic composites industry Evaluate technological advancements in producing these products Assess major participants, future growth potential, as well as the technologies and standards crucial to understanding the industry. T: , F:

2 Introduction The global market for applications of wood-plastic composites (WPCs), cellulosic plastics, plastic lumber and natural fiber composites is estimated at about 2.4 million metric tons in By 2016, it is estimated at nearly 4.6 million metric tons and rising at a robust compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 13.8%. Cellulosic-plastic combinations and plastics are direct competitors in the drive to replace lumber in building and construction markets. These segments include wood-plastic composites, plastic lumber, cellulosic plastics, and natural fiber composites. Their four major applications are: building products, automotive, infrastructure and other consumer/industrial products. Wood-plastic composites (WPCs) are composite materials made of wood fiber/flour and plastic(s). Their most widespread use is in outdoor deck floors, but they are also used for railings, fences, landscaping timbers, cladding and siding, park benches, molding and trim, window and door frames, and indoor furniture. Another type of plastic based on wood is cellulosics, which are derived from cellulose or a derivative of cellulose. The source of the cellulose used to make plastics is usually wood, although other feedstocks such as cotton fiber can also be used. Natural fiber composites are defined as plastics that are reinforced with a natural material. They need to be considered as a separate category because they are by and large replacing traditional reinforcements such as glass. The reason is environmental. They are renewable, biodegradable and require less energy to produce. Natural fibers being used as plastic reinforcements include hemp, wheat straw, jute and bast. The major application area for natural fiber composites is durable goods such as automotive interior components, also an important application for WPCs in. Plastic lumber is sometimes incorrectly called a wood-plastic composite by building retailers. There is no wood in plastic lumber, which is a plastic product that may or may not include reinforcements. This report defines plastic lumber as all-plastic products that compete directly with wood and wood-plastic composites in decking, railing and certain other building products markets, and certain infrastructure markets., WPCs and natural fiber composites are available in a wide range of densities/ weights depending on the resin, type and weight of fillers/ reinforcements, be they glass fibers, wood flour, or natural fibers. BCC Research report provides information about all cellulosic-plastic combinations as well as plastics. This report covers four major products including wood-plastic composites, plastic lumber, cellulosic plastics, and natural fiber composites with their major applications. This report is useful to the plastics industry involved with plastics processing, manufacturers that have experience in both wood and plastics, and companies involved in production of WPCs. The information for this report has been collected through both primary and secondary research methodologies. Primary sources include interviews with many of the leading participants in these market areas. Secondary Sources include leading trade publications as well as technical and government documents including trade associations. Metric tons 3,500,000 3,000,000 2,500,000 2,000,000 1,500,000 1,000, ,000 0 SUMMARY FIGURE GLOBAL MARKET FOR APPLICATIONS OF WPCS, CELLULOSICS, PLASTIC LUMBER, AND NATURAL FIBER COMPOSITES, (METRIC TONS) Building products Automotive Source: BCC Research Infrastructure Other consumer/ industrial

3 Scope of Study The market for building products is expected to experience the highest growth, at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 12.4% during the 5-year period from 2011 to This sector is expected to be worth 1.7 million metric tons in 2011 and nearly 3.2 million metric tons in This report contains: An overview of history, current status, forecast scenario and applications for four major products: wood-plastic composites (WPCs), plastic lumber, cellulosic plastics and natural fiber composites Analysis of global market trends, with data from 2008, 2009 and 2010, estimates for 2011, and projections of compound annual growth rates (CAGRs) through 2016 Discussion of market by key resins such as polyethylene, PVC and polypropylene within each application and whether these resins are being used as plastic lumber or WPCs A focus on technologies, production (e.g., compounding, injection molding, extrusion), use of additives (colorants, lubricants, coupling agents, and UV stabilizers), requisite properties required for each application, costs and pricing, marketing, competitive company strategies, distribution, product standards and testing The claims and counter-claims of companies producing these products. Table of Contents Chapter One: Introduction Reasons for Doing The Study Scope of The Study Methodology and Information Sources Author s Credentials Related BCC Reports BCC Online Services Disclaimer Chapter Two: Executive Summary Summary Table Global Market for Applications of Wpcs, Cellulosics,, and Natural Fiber Composites, Through Summary Figure Global Market for Applications of Wpcs, Cellulosics,, and Natural Fiber Composites, Chapter Three: Industry Definitions Chapter Four: History Wood Plastic Composites Interaction of Two Different Industries The Beginning 1990 Activities Impact of Usda and Forest Product Companies Contrast with Cellulosics Types of Fibers Outlook Techniques Chapter Five: Use of Additives Use of Foams Applications New Generation Products Some Marketing Aspects Future Cellulosic Plastics Chemistry Types of Fibers Outlook Techniques Components of Systems Chapter Six: Key Components Properties Specific Properties Celluosics Properites Table 1 Selected Properties of Glass and Natural Fibers Comparison with Glass Fibers Wpc and Consumer Comparisons Chapter Seven: Advantages Relative Costs Recycling Aspects Coloring Standard Advantages Bast Fibers Kenaf Flax Hemp Sisal Chapter Eight: Limitations Cellulosics Chapter Nine: Global Market Estimates and Forecast Wpc Market

4 Table of Contents, continued The market for automotive applications is estimated at 0.3 million metric tons in 2011 and is expected to increase at 17.1% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) to reach nearly 0.8 million metric tons in Table 2 Global Wpc Market, Through 2016 (Metric Tons) Figure 1 Global Wpc Market, Table 3 United States Housing Starts (Thousand Units) Table 4 Trex Annual Sales Data (Thousand Dollars) Cellulosic Plastics Table 5 Use of Cellulosic Plastics By Global Region, Through Figure 2 Use of Cellulosic Plastics By Global Region, Table 6 Global Producers of Cellulose Plastic Table 7 Global Natural Fiber Composite Compound Market, Through Figure 3 Global Natural Fiber Composite Compound Market Table 8 Global Market, Through 2016 Figure 4 Global Market Chapter Ten: Resins Table 9 Resins Used in (%) Figure 5 Resins Used in (%) Polyethylenes High-density Polyethylene (Hdpe) Polyethylene Producers Table 10 Selected Major Hdpe Producers and Capacities, 2011 (Million Metric Tons/year) Polypropylene Typical Applications Properties Producers and Capacities Table 11 Key Polypropylene Producers and Capacities, 2011 (Million Metric Tons/year) Polyvinyl Chloride Forms of Pvc Producers and Capacities Table 12 Key Pvc Producers and Their Capacities, 2011 (Million Metric Tons/year) of Resin Choices for Wpcs, and Table 13 Prices of Materials Used in Wood-plastic Composites (Dollars Per Pound, March, 2011) Resin Competitive Scenario Table 14 Densities of Materials Used in Wpcs (G/cm3) Chapter Eleven: Fillers and Reinforcements Wood Flour Glass Fibers Sizing Glass Fiber Types Other Fillers Natural Fibers Pricing Chapter Twelve: Production Wpcs Wood Feedstocks for Wpcs Wood Feedstocks Suitable for Wpcs Quality Issues Plastic Binder Materials Wood Drying Compounding Chapter Thirteen: Forming Processes Choices To Be Made Types of Equipment Physical Property Profile Challenges To Wpc Processing Extrusion Injection Molding History Technology Other Applications Foamed Products Foaming Technologies Physical Property Considerations Wood Fiber Pellet Usage Compression Molding Other Fabrication Processes Chapter Fourteen: Additives Functions Table 15 of Wpc/plastic Lumber/natural Fiber Composite Additives Loading Levels Use of Mineral Fillers As Additives Colorants Company Activities Accel Clariant Lubricants Internal Lubricants External Lubricants Examples of Lubricants Used General Chemistry of Wpc Lubricants Company Products Lonza Clariant Masterbatches Coupling Agents Major Characteristics Functions Impact Chemical Types of Coupling Agents Acid Anhydrides Organosilanes Methylol Phenolic-grafted Polyolefins Companies Chemtura Corp.

5 Table of Contents, continued Equistar Chemical Dupont Westlake Antioxidants/uv Stabilizers Flame Retardants Organic Bromine Compounds Antimony Oxide Alumina Trihydrate Chlorinated Compounds Molybdenum and Magnesium Compounds Phosphorus Compounds Heat Stabilizers Company News Foaming Agents Nature of Cfas Company Products Reedy International Clariant Masterbatches Bergen International Anti-microbials Company Products Lonza Basf Other Additives Wpc Additive Suppliers Table 16 Selected Key Wpc Additive Suppliers Table 17 n /wpc and Natural Fiber Composite Additive Market, Through 2016 (Million Pounds) Figure 6 n /wpc and Natural Fiber Composite Additive Market, (Million Pounds) Chapter Fifteen: Applications Building Products Infrastructure Automotive Other Industrial/consumer Products Outdoor Products Are Dominant Other Applications Broad Competitive of Wpcs and Applications Table 18 How Wpcs and Stack Up Table 19 Global Market for Applications of Wpcs, Cellulosics,, and Natural Fiber Composites, Through Figure 7 Global Market for Applications of Wpcs, Cellulosics,, and Natural Fiber Composites, Through Building Products/construction Table 20 Global Building Products Market By Type of Product, Through Figure 8 Global Building Products Market By Type of Product, Table 21 n Wpc Building Products Market By Resin, Through Table 22 Recovered Plastic Film in The U.S., (Pounds) Table 23 U.S. for Recovered Plastic Film (%) Figure 9 U.S. for Recovered Plastic Film (%) Table 24 Global Wpc Building Products Market, By Resin, Through Figure 10 Global Wpc Building Products Market By Resin, Table 25 Global Building Products Market By Resin, Through Figure 11 Global Building Products Market By Resin, Decking Sources of Plastic Portion of and Wpc Decking Properties of and Wpc Decking Materials Relative Costs Marketing Aspects Wpc/plastic Lumber Decking Maintenance Table 26 n Wpc Decking Market By Resin, Through Figure 12 n Wpc Decking Market By Resin, Through Table 27 Global Wpc Decking Market By Resin, Through Figure 13 Global Wpc Decking Market By Resin, 2008 Table 28 Global Decking Market By Resin, Through Figure 14 Global Decking Market By Resin, Other Building Products Windows/doors Product Types R&D Developments Other Factors in The Market Standards Key Manufacturers Fences Technologies Building Codes/standards New Developments Wpc Involvement Window/door Profiles Types of Window Materials Aluminum Plastics Steel Wood Molding/trim Railings Code Requirements Roofing Siding Technology Rigid Cellular (Foamed) Pvc Fiber Cement Composites Use of Wpcs Table 29 Global and Wpc Fencing and Window/door Market, Through Figure 15 Global and Wpc Fencing and Window/door Market, 2008 Table 30 Global Fencing and Window/ door Market By Resin, Through Figure 16 Global Fencing and Window/door Market By Resin, Through 2016 (Metric Tons) Table 31 Global Wpc Fencing and Window/door Market By Resin, Through

6 Table of Contents, continued Figure 17 Global Wpc Fencing and Window/door Market By Resin, Table 32 Global, Wpc, and Natural Fiber Miscellaneous Building Products Market, Through Figure 18 Global, Wpc, and Natural Fiber Miscellaneous Building Products Market, Table 33 Global Miscellaneous Building Products Market By Resin, Through 2016 Figure 19 Global Miscellaneous Building Products Market By Resin, Total, Table 34 Global Wpc Miscellaneous Building Products Market By Resin, Through Figure 20 Global Wpc Miscellaneous Building Products Market By Resin, Automotive Historical Usage Objectives Cost Filler Competitive Scenario: Wood Vs. Natural Fiber Vs. Mineral Fillers Limitations Other Developments an Activities Table 35 Global Natural Fiber Composite, Wpc and Cellulosic Plastic Consumption in The Automotive Market, Through Figure 21 Global, Wpc and Cellulosic Plastic Consumption in The Automotive Market, Table 36 Global Wpc and Natural Fiber Consumption in The Automotive Market By Resin, Through 2016 Related Developments Infrastructure Marine Cca Issues Boardwalks Railroad Table 37 Weight Comparisons of Competitive Materials for Railroad Ties Usage By Railroads Table 38 Global Plastic Railroad Tie Market, Through Plastics Used Table 39 Global Plastic Railroad Tie Market By Resin, Through Suppliers Bridges Highway Guardrail Blocks and Sound Barriers Table 40 Global Market for Applications of Wpcs, and in The Infrastructure Market, Through Miscellaneous Industrial/consumer Applications Pallets Role of Wpcs Role of New Developments Negative Aspects Outdoor Furniture Table 41 Epa s Recommended Recovered Materials Content Levels for Park Benches and Picnic Tables (%) Other Outdoor /wpc Applications Interior Applications Furniture Products Additional Miscellaneous /wpc Products Table 42 Global Wpc, and Natural Fiber Composites in The Miscellaneous Consumer/ industrial, Through Chapter Sixteen: Technology Moisture Issues Role of Coupling Agents Plastics Issues Physical Properties Affected By Plastic-wood Ratios Wood Fibers, Flours and Chips Wood Types Make A Difference Handling The Wood Sorting and Working with Wood Specific Resins Used Table 43 Comparison of Properties of Wpcs By Resin Table 44 Selected Weight Comparisons of Woods and Wpcs Reasons for Delays in Commercialization of Wpcs Moisture Is Still An Important Technical Issue Cooling Problems Technical Challenges Maintaining Product Consistency Injection Molding Aspects New Technologies Long Fibers Novel Non-extrusion Process Use of Poultry Feathers Rayonier and Usda R&D Efforts Chapter Seventeen: Standards and Testing Astm Standards Table 45 Astm Standards for Chapter Eighteen: Industry Structure Major Companies Involved Competitive Landscape Forest Product Companies Involvement Chapter Nineteen: Marketing Products Market Drivers Strategies Distribution Chapter Twenty: Future Trends Future Trends Chapter Twenty-one: Company Profiles Advanced Environmental Recycling Technologies, Inc. (Aert) American Ecoboard American Maplan American Wood Fibers Andersen Windows Artowood Co.

7 Table of Contents, continued A. Schulman Axion International B+c Extrusion Systems (Foshan) Ltd. Battenfeld-cincinnati B&f Plastics Bedford Technologies Boise Cascade Brambles, Ltd. Certainteed Cpg International, Inc. Crane Plastics Manufacturing Dexx Corp. Fasalex Fiber Composites Llc Findock Fkur Kunststoff Guangzhou Kindwood Co. Greiner Extrusion Mas Maschinen- Und Anlagenbau Schulz Gmbh Newwood Corp. Renolit Ag Solvay Strandex Corp. Strucktol Tamko Building Products Tech-wood Tong Xiang Xing Long Fine Chemical Ltd. (Xl) Trex Co. Universal Forest Products Wpc Corp. (Wpcc) Appendix Acronyms 185 pages 45 tables Related Reports Styrenics ID: PLS017B Published: 10/01 The Plastics Compounding Market ID: PLS018C Published: 09/09 Engineering Resins, Polymer Alloys & Blends ID: PLS020B Published: 09/08 About BCC Research BCC Research is a leading publisher of high-quality, technology market research reports and technical publications. BCC Research reports provide quantified measurements of the market and all major industry segments, as well as in-depth analysis of key market drivers and trends. BCC Subscriptions Access hundreds of published reports and automatically receive newly published research with a BCC Report Subscription. We can tailor a complete package of material that meets your needs and budget. BCC Custom Research Improve your strategic planning efforts with a BCC custom research study. We will work with you to determine what information is needed and deliver specific qualitative and quantitative analysis that supports your business objectives. Call or (intl), or sales@bccresearch.com for more information about any of BCC Research s products and services.

Market and Technology Trends and Challenges for Wood Plastic Composites in North America

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