Journal of Composite Materials

Journal of Composite Materials
Title	Journal of Composite Materials
Discipline	Materials science
Abbreviation	J. Compos. Mater.
Publisher	Sage Publications
Country	United Kingdom
Frequency	18/year
History	1967–present
Impact	3.1
Issn	0021-9983

Journal of Composite Materials is a peer-reviewed scientific journal covering research on engineered composite materials, combining experimental, computational, and theoretical studies. It publishes articles on fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composites, metal matrix composites, ceramic matrix composites, and emerging hybrid systems. The journal serves researchers affiliated with institutions such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Stanford University, Imperial College London, University of Cambridge, and Tsinghua University.

History

The journal was established in 1967 during a period marked by increased activity at organizations like NASA, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, General Electric, and Rolls-Royce Holdings in response to demands from the Space Race and aerospace programs like Apollo program. Early editorial leadership included figures connected to research centers such as Argonne National Laboratory, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Sandia National Laboratories, and National Institute of Standards and Technology. Throughout the 1970s and 1980s it documented advances tied to projects at Dassault Aviation, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Airbus, British Aerospace, and industry groups such as Society of Automotive Engineers and American Society of Mechanical Engineers. The journal reflected shifts noted during events like the Oil crisis of 1973 and industrial collaborations exemplified by partnerships between DuPont, 3M, BASF, and AkzoNobel.

Scope and Topics

The journal covers composite design and characterization pursued at institutions including California Institute of Technology, ETH Zurich, University of Tokyo, Seoul National University, and University of Michigan. Topics span micromechanics, damage mechanics, fracture mechanics, fatigue analysis, and multi-scale modeling relevant to projects at Rolls-Royce Holdings, General Dynamics, Thales Group, Saab AB, and Kawasaki Heavy Industries. It reports on manufacturing technologies developed by companies like Hexcel, Toray Industries, Owens Corning, SGL Carbon, and Aerospace Corporation and on standards from bodies such as ASTM International, ISO, SAE International, European Committee for Standardization, and British Standards Institution. Applications discussed include civil structures designed by firms like Arup Group, Skanska, Vinci SA, and Bechtel, as well as biomedical devices linked to research at Mayo Clinic, Johns Hopkins University, Cleveland Clinic, and Karolinska Institute.

Abstracting and Indexing

The journal is abstracted and indexed in major databases operated by companies such as Clarivate Analytics, Elsevier, ProQuest, EBSCO Information Services, and Index Copernicus. It appears in curated services like Science Citation Index Expanded, Scopus, INSPEC, and Compendex, which are also used by institutions including Harvard University, University of Oxford, Yale University, University of California, Berkeley, and Columbia University for literature searches. Coverage supports bibliometric analyses undertaken by organizations including National Science Foundation, European Research Council, UK Research and Innovation, and Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Editorial Board and Peer Review

The editorial board comprises academics and industry scientists affiliated with University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Northwestern University, Purdue University, University of Texas at Austin, Delft University of Technology, Technical University of Munich, Politecnico di Milano, and University of Sydney. Peer review follows practices championed by groups like Committee on Publication Ethics and standards similar to those used by publishers such as Springer Nature and Wiley-Blackwell. Guest editors have been drawn from research centers like Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, CERN, Fraunhofer Society, and Korea Institute of Science and Technology for themed issues.

Publication Frequency and Format

The journal publishes multiple issues per year, reflecting schedules comparable to titles from SAGE Publications, Elsevier, and Taylor & Francis Group. Articles appear as full research papers, short communications, review articles, and technical notes. Formats accommodate digital platforms managed by publishers like JSTOR, PubMed Central, and CrossRef and integrate metadata standards used by ORCID, Digital Object Identifier system, and CrossMark.

Impact and Reception

Citations to the journal are tracked by services such as Journal Citation Reports, Google Scholar, Scopus Citations, and analyses by Altmetric. Its influence is noted in review papers produced at institutions like MIT Lincoln Laboratory, National Research Council (Canada), CSIR, and CSIRO. The journal is frequently cited in patents filed at offices such as the United States Patent and Trademark Office, European Patent Office, Japan Patent Office, and referenced in technical standards from ISO and ASTM International.

Notable Articles and Special Issues

Notable contributions include foundational micromechanics papers that have been influential at universities including Brown University, Cornell University, Princeton University, and Johns Hopkins University. Special issues have focused on themes aligned with initiatives at Horizon 2020, US Department of Energy, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, European Space Agency, and National Aeronautics and Space Administration. Guest-edited volumes have featured contributors from NASA Glenn Research Center, ESA ESTEC, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, DOD laboratories, and corporate R&D labs at Airbus Defence and Space, BAE Systems, Toyota, and General Motors.

Category:Materials science journals