European Polymer Journal

European Polymer Journal
Title	European Polymer Journal
Discipline	Polymer science
Language	English
Abbreviation	Eur. Polym. J.
Publisher	Elsevier
Country	Netherlands
Frequency	Monthly
History	1965–present
Impact	6.2
Impact-year	2024

European Polymer Journal is a peer‑reviewed scientific periodical concentrating on polymer research and technology, with emphasis on macromolecular synthesis, characterization, processing and applications. Launched in the mid‑20th century, the journal interfaces with industrial research performed at firms such as BASF, Dow Chemical Company, DuPont, AkzoNobel and Covestro, while also publishing work from academic institutions like University of Cambridge, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, University of Oxford, ETH Zurich and Tokyo Institute of Technology. The journal operates within the commercial publishing ecosystem dominated by Elsevier, and contributes to discourse shaped by organizations such as European Polymer Federation, Royal Society of Chemistry, American Chemical Society and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

History

European Polymer Journal began publication in the era of post‑war expansion of polymer science that also saw growth at laboratories linked to Imperial Chemical Industries, Shell, ICI Fibres, Union Carbide and national institutes including National Institute of Standards and Technology, Fraunhofer Society, CNRS, Max Planck Society and CERN‑adjacent materials programs. Founding editors and early contributors included researchers affiliated with University of Manchester, University of Leeds, University of Rome La Sapienza, Technical University of Munich and University of Strasbourg. The title evolved alongside major advances traced through events like the development of the Ziegler–Natta catalyst, the commercialization of polyethylene and polypropylene, the discovery of conducting polymers and the synthesis of block copolymers. Over decades the journal expanded its remit in parallel with conferences such as Macromolecular Symposia, POLY Conference, European Polymer Congress and symposia organized by IUPAC.

Scope and Content

The journal publishes original research articles, reviews and short communications covering polymer chemistry, polymer physics and polymer engineering with intersections to applied fields connected to IBM Research, Siemens, Toyota Central R&D Labs and General Electric. Typical topics include polymer synthesis methods like anionic polymerization and atom transfer radical polymerization linked historically to work at ETH Zurich and University of Florida; characterization techniques deriving from advances at Brookhaven National Laboratory, Argonne National Laboratory and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory; and applications in areas pursued by NASA, European Space Agency, Siemens Healthineers and Philips. The journal situates contributions among landmark works by scientists from institutions such as Columbia University, California Institute of Technology, Johns Hopkins University, Princeton University and University of Tokyo.

Abstracting and Indexing

European Polymer Journal is indexed in major bibliographic services developed by organizations like Clarivate, Elsevier B.V. and ProQuest. It appears in databases maintained by Web of Science, Scopus, Chemical Abstracts Service, INSPEC and PubMed Central‑adjacent repositories for materials science. Citation metrics reported by Journal Citation Reports and SciVal reflect performance against titles from publishers including Springer Nature, Wiley-Blackwell and ACS Publications. The journal’s metadata is discoverable via library systems at institutions such as Library of Congress, British Library, Bibliothèque nationale de France and university consortia like ARL.

Editorial Structure and Publication Process

The editorial office operates under an editor‑in‑chief supported by associate editors and an editorial board populated by academics affiliated with University of Manchester, University of Cambridge, ETH Zurich, Sorbonne University and University of Barcelona. Peer review follows standards used across journals published by Elsevier, with single‑ or double‑blind review practices influenced by policies from COPE and ORCID. Manuscripts undergo initial screening for scope and ethics by staff linked to publishers such as Elsevier and are handled through manuscript tracking systems used by Editorial Manager and Elsevier Editorial System. Production, typesetting and DOI assignment are processed in workflows coordinated with CrossRef and indexing bodies like PubMed for eligible items.

Impact and Reception

The journal’s impact factor and citation counts place it among established venues in polymer science alongside titles like Macromolecules, Polymer, Progress in Polymer Science and Journal of Polymer Science. It is cited in landmark reviews and policy reports produced by entities such as European Commission research directorates, the OECD and national funding agencies including EPSRC, National Science Foundation and Horizon 2020 program documentation. Reception in industry is reflected by citations in patents filed with patent offices like the European Patent Office, United States Patent and Trademark Office and Japan Patent Office, and by usage in standards developed by bodies such as ISO and ASTM International.

Notable Articles and Special Issues

Noteworthy contributions include comprehensive reviews and empirical studies that built on seminal work from laboratories at ETH Zurich, MIT, Berkeley and CNRS. Special issues have been organized around themes linked to initiatives such as Horizon Europe, sustainable polymers research influenced by meetings at Stockholm Environment Institute and circular economy workshops involving Ellen MacArthur Foundation. Guest editors have been drawn from affiliations like University of Antwerp, KTH Royal Institute of Technology, National University of Singapore and Seoul National University.

Access and Availability

The journal is available through subscription platforms managed by Elsevier and institutional access systems at universities including Harvard University, Stanford University, University of California system and University College London. Individual articles are often accessible via paywall or open access options consistent with mandates from funders such as Wellcome Trust, European Research Council and NIH. Archival holdings are preserved in digital repositories used by Portico and CLOCKSS and cataloged by national libraries like Bibliothèque nationale de France and Deutsche Nationalbibliothek.

Category:Academic journals in materials science