A Comprehensive Review on Process and Technological Aspects of Wood-Plastic Composites

Abstract

This review deals with recent works on the process and technological aspects of wood-plastic composites (WPCs) manufacturing.WPCs relate to any composites that are built from wood and non-wood fibers and thermoplastic polymers. Recent progress relevant to wood-plastic composites has been reviewed in this article. The process and technological aspects of WPC, such as raw materials, fabrication, mechanical, physical, thermal, and morphological properties, were outlined comprehensively. The manufacturing process of WPCs is an important aspect of WPCs production. Manufacturing methods like compression molding and pultrusion have some limitations. Extrusion and injection molding processes are the most widely used in WPCs due to their effectiveness. Recent developments dealing with WPCs and the use of different kinds of nanofillers in WPCs have also been presented and discussed. Nanoclays are widely used as nanofillers in WPCs because they represent an eco-friendly, readily available in large quantity, and inexpensive filler. WPCs can be found in a wide range of applications from construction to the automotive industry.Keywords: additive manufacturing, adhesion, fabrication techniques, mechanical and physical properties, wood-plastic composites