Journal profile · Polymer Science
Polymer Engineering and Science
ISSN 0032-3888 · eISSN 1548-2634 · John Wiley and Sons Inc. · UNITED STATES · Monthly
Polymer Engineering and Science: CAS Zone 3 · Engineering (2025 upgraded edition); impact factor 3.56; hybrid open access; APC about USD 4,270; median 70 days to acceptance (147 articles, last 24 months); community-reported acceptance: easy; 596 articles in 2025; indexed in SCIE and Scopus.
Scope
Aims, scope and focus
Polymer Engineering and Science is published by John Wiley and Sons Inc. and is in Zone 3 of Engineering in the CAS Journal Ranking (2025 upgraded edition). By OpenAlex counts of its recent articles, its largest topics are Polymer crystallization and properties, Polymer Nanocomposites and Properties and Rheology and Fluid Dynamics Studies, together about 39.8% of its articles. Its main subfields are Polymers and Plastics. (generated from OpenAlex topic counts and CAS ranking data)
For 60 years, Polymer Engineering and Science (PES) has been one of the most highly regarded journals in the field, serving as a forum for authors of treatises on the cutting edge of polymer science and technology. The importance of PES is underscored by the frequent rate at which its articles are cited, especially by other publications - more than ten thousand times a year. Scientists, engineers, researchers, technicians, and academicians worldwide are looking to PES for the valuable information they need. PES solicits research articles covering a broad spectrum of ideas and concepts in polymer science, polymer engineering, and polymer technologies including those on green materials and green technologies. Of interest to PES Polymer synthesis and characterization including gels and hydrogels, foams and other porous materials, and biopolymers Structure-properties relationships that include rheological, mechanical, electrical, tribological, dielectric, and thermal properties Polymer structure modification by chemical and physical means Polymer blends Continuum and molecular modeling of polymer behavior (compare with new or existing experimental data if possible) Transport processes through polymeric membranes, gels, and hydrogels, Polymer nanocomposites Smart polymeric materials Additive manufacturing Processing-structure relationships, crystallization, glass transition Extrusion, molding, and other processing technologies including green processing technologies and end-of-life upcycling processes contributing to circular economy. Not of interest to PES Research articles on composites fabrication and characterization (please submit these to Polymer Composites or SPE Polymers) Research articles that use flame retardants and additives (please submit these to Journal of Vinyl and Additive Technology or SPE Polymers) Research articles on vinyl polymers, such as PVC and PVDF (please submit these to Journal of Vinyl and Additive Technology) We welcome comprehensive review articles by subject experts and thematic special issues compiled by distinguished guest editors. We do not publish conference proceedings, but welcome proposals for special issues originating from conferences. All such manuscripts will be subjected to rigorous peer-review process of PES. If in doubt, please contact one of our editors via email.
From the journal's Aims & Scope
Research area (LetPub): Polymer Science
Editor-in-chief Sadhan C. JanaPublisher website
Editorial board by country: 1 in mainland China (about 2%); most named United States 13, India 4, France 3, Canada 3, United Kingdom 2 (41 members with a country) Editorial board ↗Publisher website ·
Main research topics OpenAlex counts of recent articles; shares are approximate
- Polymer crystallization and propertiesMaterials Science19%
- Polymer Nanocomposites and PropertiesMaterials Science12.7%
- Rheology and Fluid Dynamics StudiesChemical Engineering8.1%
- biodegradable polymer synthesis and propertiesMaterials Science7.4%
- Polymer Foaming and CompositesMaterials Science5.3%
- Injection Molding Process and PropertiesEngineering5.3%
- Epoxy Resin Curing ProcessesEngineering4.8%
- Mechanical Behavior of CompositesEngineering4.1%
Rankings & indexing
CAS ranking and database indexing
CAS Journal Ranking
CAS Journal Ranking, upgraded edition (March 2025)Engineering Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Engineering, Chemical | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Polymer Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
CAS Xinrui Journal Ranking (March 2026)Engineering Zone 3
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Engineering, Chemical | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Polymer Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: not marked
CAS Journal Ranking, previous upgraded edition (December 2023)Engineering Zone 4
| Level | Category | Zone |
|---|---|---|
| Major | Engineering | Zone 4 |
| Minor | Engineering, Chemical | Zone 3 |
| Minor | Polymer Science | Zone 3 |
Top journal: noReview journal: no
Database indexing
SCIEScopusLetPub
International journal early-warning lists: not listed in any editionLetPub
Indexing the journal's website claims
EI CompendexWeb of ScienceINSPECCASCurrent ContentsPublisher website
Other: EBSCO, ProQuest
As the journal's website lists them, not checked against each database; for Web of Science editions the records above apply.
Editions, and major and minor categories, are shown separately and never merged into one zone; check which edition your institution uses before you submit or report.
Metrics
Impact metrics and publication volume
Impact
- Impact factor
- 3.56LetPub ·
- Impact factor (publisher)
- 3.6Publisher website ·
- CiteScore 2026-06
- 5.7LetPub ·
- CiteScore (publisher)
- 5.7Publisher website ·
- SJR 2026-06
- 0.56LetPub ·
- SNIP 2026-06
- 0.85LetPub ·
- h-index
- 101LetPub ·
- h-index
- 183OpenAlex ·
- i10-index
- 8,300OpenAlex ·
- 2-year mean citedness
- 3.19OpenAlex ·
- Self-citation rate
- 8.3%LetPub ·
- Share of gold OA articles
- 14.88%LetPub ·
Volume
- Articles per year
- 567LetPub ·
Articles by year OpenAlex count · 15,507 in total · the current year is incomplete
| Year | Articles | Open access | Citations |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 561 | 169 | 183 |
| 2025 | 596 | 240 | 1,772 |
| 2024 | 466 | 219 | 3,225 |
| 2023 | 394 | 192 | 4,453 |
| 2022 | 369 | 48 | 4,422 |
| 2021 | 263 | 32 | 4,254 |
Sources count differently and were observed at different times, so each source's own value is kept; "publisher" marks figures from the journal's website.
Review & acceptance
Review time and acceptance
Review time from article dates manuscript dates registered with Crossref · to
70 daysMedian, submission to acceptance · P25–P75 50 days – 99 days
- Acceptance to online
- median 13 days (147 articles)
- Submission to online
- median 92 days
- Sample
- 147 articles with submission and acceptance dates (1,213 in the window); the latest was accepted on
Only articles that were accepted and published are counted, not the time spent on rejected manuscripts, so this usually runs longer than a publisher's "time to first decision".
Other sources
- Average review time (community reports)
- about 3.7 monthsLetPub ·
- Average acceptance (community reports)
- EasyLetPub ·
- Acceptance rate (publisher)
- 40%Publisher website ·
- Submission to first decision
- 18 daysPublisher website ·
- Peer review
- Single anonymous peer reviewPublisher website
Community reports come from authors' own submissions (confidence 0.5) and are not a promise from the journal; for publisher figures, the journal's own definitions apply.
Fees & open access
APC and open-access policy
Hybrid open accessLetPub
A subscription journal in which authors can pay to publish their article open access.
| Source | APC | Fee waiver | License | Observed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| OpenAlex | USD 4,270 / EUR 3,570 / GBP 2,870 | — | — | |
| Publisher website | Yes, amount not published | — | — |
A hybrid journal charges the APC only when the author chooses open access; publishing under the subscription model is usually free.
The journal's website is authoritative for fees; sources were observed at different times and each keeps its own value, without averaging.
Submission
Article types and submission policies (journal website)
What to prepare2 items from the author guidelines
- Reference style
- Numbered, in order of citation
- Not considered
- fictitious results; essentially the same research to multiple journals
Article types accepted2, with length limits
- editorialPublication Ethics The authors, reviewers, and editors of the SPE Journals are expected to follow the standards determined by the Committee on Publication Ethic…main text ≤ 200 words · figures and tables ≤ 12
- reviewManuscripts may be accepted for publication without change or with minor changes. If major revisions are needed, the manuscript may be sent back to the original…Length not stated
Policy excerpts from the journal's websiteAI use, Authorship, Conflicts of interest, Data availability, Publication ethics, License & copyright, Open access, Peer review, Plagiarism
- AI use Use of Artificial Intelligence Tools
AI use must be disclosed in Experimental section. Model summary
Artificial intelligence (AI) tools can provide a variety of benefits in the scientific research process including in the generation, collection, analysis, and visualization of research data. Authors are expected to carefully review any data generated by or analyzed using AI or related computational techniques and must carry out the final interpretation of the results presented in the manuscript. A…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Authorship Authorship
ORCID iD required for submitting author. Model summary
Credit for authorship should be based on: substantial contributions to research design, the acquisition, analysis or interpretation of data, drafting the paper or revising it critically, approval of the submitted and final versions. Authors should meet all three criteria. All contributors who do not meet all the criteria for authorship should be listed in the acknowledgement section. The correspon…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Conflicts of interest Conflict of Interest Statement
Funding disclosure required. Model summary
Authors will be asked to provide a conflict of interest statement during the submission process. For details on what to include in this section, see the ‘Conflict of Interest’ section in the Editorial Policies and Ethical Considerations section above. Submitting authors should ensure they liaise with all co-authors to confirm agreement with the final statement.
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Data availability Data Sharing and Data Availability
Data sharing encouraged; data availability statement may be published. Model summary
Polymer Engineering & Science encourages authors to share the data and other artefacts supporting the results in the paper by archiving it in an appropriate public repository. Authors may provide a data availability statement, including a link to the repository they have used, in order that this statement can be published in their paper. Shared data should be cited. All accepted manuscripts may el…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Publication ethics Publication Ethics
Follows COPE standards for publication ethics. Model summary
The authors, reviewers, and editors of the SPE Journals are expected to follow the standards determined by the Committee on Publication Ethics. In particular, authors should not submit manuscripts that contain previously published results, plagiarized material, fictitious results, or intentional reference omissions. Authors should disclose related manuscripts that are under consideration or in pre…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- License & copyright Copyright Transfer Agreement
Copyright Transfer Agreement required after acceptance. Model summary
A signed Copyright Transfer Agreement (CTA) is required to be completed after manuscript acceptance. This must be done using the Wiley Author Licensing Service where authors may also indicate whether the article should be open access. After acceptance you will receive an email from Author Services with a link to your "My Publication" page and you will be guided through the process in order to sele…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Open access Open Access
Open access is available to authors of primary research articles who wish to make their article available to non-subscribers on publication, or whose funding agency requires grantees to archive the final version of their article. With open access, the author, the author's funding agency, or the author's institution pays a fee to ensure that the article is made available to non-subscribers upon pub…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Peer review Peer Review
No duplicate submission; previously published or under-consideration manuscripts not accepted. Model summary
Manuscripts are selected for external peer review based on the importance, novelty, interest of the work to the wider community, and quality of the described research. Manuscripts that are not selected for external peer review are normally returned to the author within five working days. Selected manuscripts describing original research are sent to multiple expert reviewers. Peer review for the SP…
Source ↗Publisher website ·- Plagiarism
Similarity check: manuscripts may be returned without review if total similarity index is 30% or higher with a single source at 5% or higher. Model summary
Editors-in-Chief of SPE Journals reserve the right to return manuscripts to the corresponding author without review if the total similarity index is 30% or higher with a single source accounting for 5% or higher similarity.
Source ↗Publisher website ·
Excerpts are quoted from the journal's website; "model summary" lines are written by Workers AI and checked against the text. The journal's website is authoritative.
Profile
Publication details and official links
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons Inc.
- Country or region
- UNITED STATES
- Language
- English
- Frequency
- Monthly
- ISSN
- 0032-3888
- Electronic ISSN
- 1548-2634
- Latest issue on the website
- Volume 66, Issue 9 (September 2026)
- Official links
- Journal homepage ↗OpenAlex
- Submission system ↗Publisher website
FAQ
Frequently asked questions about Polymer Engineering and Science
What CAS zone is Polymer Engineering and Science in?
In the 2025 upgraded edition of the CAS Journal Ranking, Polymer Engineering and Science is in Zone 3 of Engineering, and in Zone 3 of the minor category Engineering, Chemical / Polymer Science. In the 2026 Xinrui edition it is in Zone 3 of Engineering. Zones from different editions, and from major and minor categories, are not interchangeable.
What is the impact factor of Polymer Engineering and Science?
The latest impact factor listed by LetPub is 3.56; CiteScore 5.7, h-index 183.
How long does peer review take at Polymer Engineering and Science?
Based on the dates recorded on 147 articles published between October 2024 and October 2026 (the last 24 months), the median time from submission to acceptance is 70 days (interquartile range 50–99 days); authors report an average review time of about 3.7 months; the community-reported acceptance is “Easy”; the journal's website gives an acceptance rate of 40%. Article statistics cover accepted papers only, publisher figures follow the journal's own definitions, and community reports come from authors' own submissions; none is a promise from the journal.
Where are the editorial board members of Polymer Engineering and Science based?
Of the 41 board members whose country the journal's board page names, 1 (about 2%) are in mainland China; the countries named most often are United States (13), India (4) and France (3). Counted from the institutions listed on the board page; for reference only.
Which databases index Polymer Engineering and Science?
According to LetPub and DOAJ records, Polymer Engineering and Science is indexed in SCIE and Scopus. The journal's website also lists EI Compendex, Web of Science, INSPEC, CAS and Current Contents; that list has not been checked against each database.
Is Polymer Engineering and Science open access, and what is the APC?
Polymer Engineering and Science is a hybrid journal. For open-access publication: APC about USD 4,270.
Sources and updates
The facts on this page come from LetPub, Publisher website, OpenAlex; every figure is tagged with its source and the date it was observed, and conflicting values are kept per source. LetPub source page: view ↗ (archived 2026-08-26). Last updated: .