Wood-plastic composite is an environmentally friendly material, due to its use of recycled thermoplastics and plant fibers. However, its surface lacks attractive aesthetic qualities. In this paper, a method of decorating wood fiber/ high-density polyethylene (WF/HDPE) without adding adhesive was explored. Canvas or polyester fabrics were selected as the surface decoration materials. The influence of hot-pressing temperature and WF/HDPE ratio on the adhesion was studied. The surface bonding strength, water resistance, and surface color were evaluated, and observation within the infrared spectrum and under scanning electron microscopy was used to analyze the bonding process. The results showed that the fabric and WF/HDPE substrate could be closely laminated together depending on the HDPE layer accumulated on the WF/HDPE surface. The molten HDPE matrix penetrates canvas more easily than polyester fabric, and the canvasveneered composite shows a greater bonding strength than does the polyester fabric-veneered composite. A higher proportion of the thermoplastic component in the substrate improved the bonding. When the hot-pressing temperature exceeded 160°C, the fabric-veneered WF/HDPE panels had greater water resistance, although the canvas fabric changed more obviously in terms of fiber shape and color, compared with the polyester fabric. For the canvas fabric, 140°C–160°C was a suitable hot-pressing temperature, whereas 160°C–180°C was more suitable for polyester fabric. The proportion of the thermoplastic component in the composite should be not less than 30% to achieve adequate bonding strength.

wood-plastic composites; high-density polyethylene; polyester fiber; canvas; surface decoration