Raw Material Characteristics
In China, double-sided grey board is typically manufactured from recycled pulp and virgin pulp, with primary materials including waste paper, packaging waste, and old books. To reduce costs, some manufacturers incorporate scraps like wood chips and paper trimmings, leading to variations in product grades. In many cases, such grey boards feature only a grey surface, while the core or cross-section may be black or brown, with reduced board strength due to diminished fiber content.
Imported European double-sided grey boards, such as those from the Netherlands, often have a "through-core grey" structure, using FSC-certified waste paper that ensures the interior contains only recycled fibers without impurities. Dutch grey boards go a step further by using first-generation waste paper (not re-recycled), resulting in superior fiber physical properties. China's waste paper recycling rate stands at around 50%, far lower than the meticulous sorting systems in Europe and the U.S. (e.g., the U.S. classifies 51 types, Europe 5 groups with 57 subtypes, while China has only 3 categories), limiting the quality of raw materials for high-grade grey boards. China's 2017 policy restricting foreign waste imports further constrained the supply of high-quality raw materials, affecting domestic grey board quality.
2. Production Process Variations
Modern large-scale double-sided grey board production relies on long wire machines. European manufacturers often employ inline lamination technology, directly laminating core board with two surface papers during production. This results in a stable three-layer structure (e.g., Dutch grey boards), where both surface papers are evenly bonded to the core, with simultaneous gluing on both sides. The board can be cut into sheets without rewinding, ensuring excellent two-sided balance and 平整度 (flatness).
Most Chinese manufacturers use a different approach: producing core or surface paper rolls first, then laminating layers through composite equipment (up to 5 layers). While this allows flexibility in thickness, multi-layer lamination involves repeated gluing and drying, compromising structural stability and making it harder to control weather resistance under varying environmental conditions.
3. Physical Properties
(1) Moisture Content
Imported Dutch grey boards typically have a moisture content of 7–8%, while domestic products average around 13%. Higher moisture content poses several issues:
Deformation: In humid or dry environments, grey board fibers may absorb or lose water unevenly, causing warping (shrinkage-induced deformation is more common in dry conditions).
Bubbling & Reduced Stiffness: Excess moisture can lead to bubbling when laminated with other materials and weaken the board's rigidity.
(2) Flatness and Stiffness
These properties depend on fiber quality and production processes. Since board strength relies on fibers, variations in recycled fiber quality lead to inconsistent product quality. China's multi-layer lamination process struggles to ensure uniform two-sided stability, often resulting in dimensional instability (e.g., warping), a critical defect for packaging and bookbinding. Delamination is another common issue, especially during die-cutting, caused by insufficient pulping, uneven gluing, or incomplete drying-risks amplified by complex multi-layer processes.
4. Processing and Applications
(1) Lamination
High-quality grey boards feature smooth surfaces that bond well with materials like copperplate paper and specialty paper, minimizing "orange peel" texture and ensuring seamless adhesion.
(2) Die-Cutting
Premium grey boards are easy to die-cut, resisting delamination or sticking even for small-scale cuts, while reducing tool wear and processing costs.
(3) Wrapping
Grey boards with balanced moisture and surface uniformity avoid bubbling or warping during wrapping, ensuring smooth, aesthetically pleasing finishes.
Applications span packaging (gift boxes, mooncake boxes, tea/liquor/jewelry packaging), home decor (storage boxes, luggage linings), and stationery (folders, hardcover book covers, coin albums).
5. Market Supply and Demand
The domestic market is dominated by Chinese-made grey boards, with demand driven by the growing packaging industry. For decades, China has imported primarily from the Netherlands, where two leading brands set quality benchmarks, influencing domestic market development.
In recent years, however, surging European raw material and energy costs (e.g., natural gas) drove imported grey board prices to 40-year highs, forcing many clients to switch to domestic alternatives. While this boosted local market share, inconsistent quality caused issues like unstable finished products, higher waste rates, and brand-client dissatisfaction. As global economic slowdown and falling raw material costs eased pressures, imported prices gradually returned to pre-pandemic levels. Conversely, reduced post-pandemic demand in China has led domestic factories to cut prices amid severe overcapacity, leaving the industry facing significant challenges.
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