Wood Polymer Composites: Progress and Prospects
A special issue of Polymers (ISSN 2073-4360). This special issue belongs to the section "Polymer Composites and Nanocomposites".
Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 August 2026 | Viewed by 22
Special Issue Editors
Interests: timber engineering; wood mechanics; composite materials; timber–concrete composite; wood modification techniques; structural engineering; sustainable construction
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Interests: timber engineering; wood modification; wood polymer composites; microwave processing of wood; sustainable construction materials; wood durability
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals
Special Issue Information
Dear Colleagues,
Wood polymer composites (WPCs) continue to gain prominence as versatile materials capable of combining the advantages of lignocellulosic resources with the tailored performance of polymer systems. Over the past decade, significant progress has been made in improving their manufacturability, structural integrity, long-term durability and environmental performance. At the same time, emerging modification techniques, such as microwave-assisted treatments, chemical impregnation, polymer treatment and nano‐enhanced formulation, have opened new possibilities for engineering WPCs with superior mechanical behaviour, enhanced dimensional stability and greater resistance to biological degradation.
This Special Issue aims to gather original research and critical and systematic reviews that advance our understanding of WPC processing, structure–property relationships and performance under service conditions. Contributions addressing life-cycle assessment, circular and bio-based design strategies and applications in building sectors are particularly welcome. By bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives from materials science, wood technology and engineering, this Special Issue seeks to provide an updated view of current developments and to highlight promising pathways for the next generation of sustainable wood polymer composites.
Dr. Alfredo Dias
Guest Editor
Dr. Fernando Junior Resende Mascarenhas
Guest Editor Assistant
Manuscript Submission Information
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Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.
Keywords
- wood polymer composites
- wood modification
- polymer impregnation
- microwave-assisted processing
- sustainable materials
- dimensional stability
- mechanical performance
- durability
- bio-based engineering
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