Sustainable Polymer Materials for Industrial Applications

Dear Colleagues,

The growing demand for environmentally friendly, high-performance materials across diverse industrial sectors has intensified the search for sustainable polymer systems with tailored functionalities. This Special Issue focuses on recent advances in sustainable polymer materials, welcoming contributions that explore their design, synthesis, processing, characterization, and application in industrial contexts.We encourage submissions that investigate the structure–property relationships of innovative materials, synthetic or natural, with an emphasis on reducing environmental impact while meeting demanding performance criteria. Particular attention is given to the integration of sustainability, durability, and multifunctionality in polymer-based systems.

Relevant functional aspects include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Thermal and acoustic insulation for energy-efficient applications.
• Electrical and thermal conductivity for smart and structural components.
• Mechanical strength, toughness, and durability for load-bearing uses.
• Surface properties such as self-cleaning, corrosion resistance, and catalytic activity.

Topics of interest include, but are not limited to, the following:

• Biopolymers: Natural and biodegradable polymers for packaging, biomedical, and agricultural uses.
• Nanostructured Sustainable Materials: Polymer-based nanocomposites with enhanced performance and multifunctional properties.
• Recyclable and Circular Economy Materials: Advanced strategies for material reuse, waste reduction, and closed-loop manufacturing.
• Bio-based and Renewable Polymers: Materials derived from lignin, cellulose, biochar, and other renewable resources.
• Smart Sustainable Polymers: Self-healing, stimuli-responsive, or adaptive materials for next-generation technologies.

For this Special Issue, we welcome original research articles, reviews, and case studies focused on the development and deployment of sustainable polymer materials in key industrial sectors, including, but not limited to, construction, aerospace, automotive, electronics, and biomedical technologies. We particularly encourage interdisciplinary submissions that bridge materials science, chemistry, physics, and engineering, contributing to the transition toward a more sustainable and circular industrial future.

Dr. Laura Ricciotti
Dr. Raffaella Aversa
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Polymers is an international peer-reviewed open access semimonthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2700 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.