Wood composites is a growing field of products that are increasingly present for a variety of applications, with an undiminished upward trend now for very many decades. One must first define what is strictly intended as a wood composite as there are a host of different products that, while they could be classified as wood composites, are really on the margin of what is defined as such in the jargon of the wood profession. In general, two main and distinct groups of wood composites exist, namely, strictly speaking, just wood panel composites and the rest, this latter being glulam, fingerjoints, etc., with parallam and scrimber really belonging in the margin of both classes. In general, also, a wood composite is a composite in which the wood is in a markedly dominant proportion. 

It must be clearly pointed out that one cannot speak about wood composites without speaking in depth of the polymer binders and adhesives used to hold them together. The history of wood composites themselves is inextricably intertwined with the history and the development of the polymer binders that hold them together and their manufacture. In fact, not only has there been continuous development of new or improved binders that has allowed the development of wood composites but, it is the continual renewal, new discovery, and upgrading of such binders that has allowed and allows progress in wood composites.