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Topic · Polymers and Plastics

Polymer composites and self-healing

Polymer composites and self-healing is a research topic within Polymers and Plastics. Science Explorer counts 30k research works in it since 1950. 20.3% of them reached the world's top 10% most cited for their field and year.

This cluster of papers focuses on the development and applications of self-healing polymers, including shape memory polymers, composites, and thermoplastic elastomers. The research explores the use of renewable resources, supramolecular interactions, and dynamic covalent bonds to create biodegradable and malleable materials with enhanced properties. Topics also include vitrimers, microencapsulation for healing agents, and the thermal and mechanical behavior of these innovative polymer systems.

  • Self-Healing
  • Polymer Composites
  • Shape Memory Polymers
  • Renewable Resources
  • Supramolecular Polymers
  • Thermoplastic Elastomers
  • Dynamic Covalent Bonds
  • Biodegradable Polymers
  • Vitrimers
  • Microencapsulation
Research works
30k
fractional, since 1950
In the world top 10%
6k
per year above
Top-10% rate
20.3%
share of its works in the world top 10%
Growth, 2013–17 → 2018–22
+49%
the tick is no change

Which countries lead Polymer composites and self-healing research?

By volume, China and the United States publish the most (3.6k and 647 works in 2022–2025).

By volume, 2022–2025

  1. 1 China 3.6k works
  2. 2 United States 647 works
  3. 3 India 472 works
  4. 4 France 209 works
  5. 5 South Korea 207 works
  6. 6 Japan 194 works
  7. 7 Iran 188 works
  8. 8 Germany 170 works
  9. 9 Türkiye 153 works
  10. 10 Italy 145 works

How concentrated that is

The same countries as shares of everything the list above accounts for. A node where two countries do two thirds of the work and one spread evenly across twelve read alike as a ranking and not at all alike here.

China: 60.5%United States: 10.7%India: 7.8%France: 3.5%6 others listed: 17.5%60%largest
China3,647 · 60.5%United States647 · 10.7%India472 · 7.8%France209 · 3.5%6 others listed1,057 · 17.5%

Shares of the rows listed above, not of the whole node.

Which institutions lead Polymer composites and self-healing research?

By volume in 2022–2025, Sichuan University publishes the most Polymer composites and self-healing research, followed by Beijing University of Chemical Technology and South China University of Technology.

By volume, 2022–2025

  1. 1 Sichuan UniversityChina 119 works
  2. 2 Beijing University of Chemical TechnologyChina 91 works
  3. 3 South China University of TechnologyChina 88 works
  4. 4 Qingdao University of Science and TechnologyChina 74 works
  5. 5 Harbin Institute of TechnologyChina 66 works
  6. 6 Nanjing Forestry UniversityChina 65 works
  7. 7 Chinese Academy of SciencesChina 64 works
  8. 8 Jiangnan UniversityChina 50 works
  9. 9 Donghua UniversityChina 47 works
  10. 10 Xi'an Jiaotong UniversityChina 46 works

Who are the leading researchers in Polymer composites and self-healing?

The most-cited researchers publishing on Polymer composites and self-healing include Ben Zhong Tang and Paul J. Flory.

  1. 1 Ben Zhong Tang Hong Kong 7k citations
  2. 2 Paul J. Flory United States 3.7k citations

Ranked by citations received across their whole record, among researchers with at least three works on this topic.

Where is Polymer composites and self-healing research done?

The largest centres of Polymer composites and self-healing research in 2022–2025 are Beijing (China), Shanghai (China), Nanjing (China) and Xi'an (China). Among places with at least 20 works in it, it is an unusually large share of all research in Pittsburg.

Largest cities, 2022–2025

  1. 1 Beijing China 549 works
  2. 2 Shanghai China 242 works
  3. 3 Nanjing China 215 works
  4. 4 Xi'an China 205 works
  5. 5 Guangzhou China 195 works
  6. 6 Chengdu China 186 works
  7. 7 Qingdao China 149 works
  8. 8 Harbin China 142 works
  9. 9 Hangzhou China 130 works
  10. 10 Wuhan China 111 works

Where it is the local speciality

  1. PittsburgUS · 21.6 works126×
← less than its size predicts1×more →

Location quotient: how much more of its research is in Polymer composites and self-healing than the world average.

See Polymer composites and self-healing on the map

Where is the best place to study Polymer composites and self-healing?

Among universities, judged by research, Beijing Forestry University, Chang'an University and Sichuan University score highest, combining excellence, specialisation, size, growth and international reach. Research strength is one signal when choosing where to study; it does not measure teaching.

0%20%40%mean 32.12%fractional works in this node (log) →share in the world top 10% →Beijing Forestry University: 27, 46.7%Chang'an University: 35, 36.7%Sichuan University: 119, 29.8%Changchun University of Technology: 28, 29.7%Nanjing Forestry University: 65, 26.8%South China University of Technology: 88, 30.2%Jiangnan University: 50, 27.9%Beijing University of Chemical Technology: 91, 25.6%South China Agricultural University: 18, 38.4%Donghua University: 47, 29.4%Beijing Forestry Uni…Chang'an UniversitySichuan UniversityChangchun University…
above the meannear itbelow it

One dot per university in the table below. The upper left is the interesting corner: small places doing unusually strong work.

#UniversityScoreTop 10%SpecialisationWorksGrowth
1 Beijing Forestry UniversityChina 70.246.7%12.3×27 +94.4%
2 Chang'an UniversityChina 68.536.7%12.3×35 +120.8%
3 Sichuan UniversityChina 66.629.8%9.3×119 +44.4%
4Changchun University of Technology?? 65.629.7%31.5×28 +397.4%
5 Nanjing Forestry UniversityChina 63.626.8%18.7×65 +54.7%
6 South China University of TechnologyChina 63.430.2%10.7×88 -15.8%
7 Jiangnan UniversityChina 63.227.9%11.1×50 +74.8%
8 Beijing University of Chemical TechnologyChina 62.725.6%27.5×91 +20.7%
9 South China Agricultural UniversityChina 60.638.4%6.9×18 +285.9%
10 Donghua UniversityChina 59.429.4%17.0×47 +4.3%

Universities only. Score blends excellence (30%), specialisation (25%), size (20%), growth (15%) and international reach (10%), 2015–2022; growth compares 2010–14 with 2015–19.

Is Polymer composites and self-healing research growing?

Output in 2018–2022 was 49% higher than in 2013–2017, peaking in 2025. The fastest-growing topics are Polymer composites and self-healing.

19801990200020102020
grewheldshrank

The same series as a ribbon — one cell per year, darker for more. The line above answers how much; this answers when.

Which topics inside it are moving

Growth and decline on one axis around a shared zero. Two lists side by side hide the thing that matters: whether the growth dwarfs the decline, or the other way round.