LibGuides: Chemistry: Polymers and Plastics

Resources & Bibliography

SciFinder
SciFinder provides online access to the Chemical Abstracts family of databases. It is the primary tool for searching the journal and patent literature for information about polymers and plastics. Searching for specific polymeric substances in SciFinder (by nomenclature, formula, or structure) is highly complex and requires some training to do effectively.
Requires users to register with a utexas.edu email account.

SciFinder Polymer Searching - Training Videos (Classic)
Polymer Searching Webinar (SciFinder-n)
Polymer Registration Examples
Polymer Class Terms in the Registry File (PDF)
Descriptions of the terms used to classify polymers in Registry.

Compendex
Engineering Index is an alternative source for exploring the literature of polymers and plastics.

On the Web

MatWeb
Database of material properties includes data sheets of thermoplastic and thermoset polymers such as ABS, nylon, polycarbonate, polyester, polyethylene and polypropylene; metals such as aluminum, cobalt, copper, lead, magnesium, nickel, steel, superalloys, titanium and zinc alloys; ceramics; plus semiconductors, fibers, and other engineering materials.
Polymer Properties Database
Unsourced and uncritical data on common polymers. (CROW)

See the guide on Materials Science & Engineering for more sources.

Handbooks

Comprehensive desk reference of polymer characterization and analysis.
Publication Date: 2003

Practical manual of basic principles and measurements related to physical structure and properties of synthetic polymers.
International plastics handbook.
Publication Date: 2006

Compact handbook on the structures, properties, design, and processes related to important plastics.
McGraw-Hill's hazardous chemical safety guide for the plastics industry.
Publication Date: 2000

Data on over 600 hazardous chemicals used in the plastics industry. With synonym/trade name and CAS registry number indexes.
Physical properties of polymers handbook.
Publication Date: 2nd ed., 2007
Polymer data handbook.
Publication Date: 2nd ed., 2009

Concise information on syntheses, structures, properties, and applications of more than 200 commercially important polymers.
Polymer handbook.
Publication Date: 4th ed., 1999

This standard handbook (known as "Brandrup") contains extensive data tables for synthetic polymers and oligomers, excluding biopolymers and spectroscopic data. With a list of polymer name abbreviations and a general subject index.

Acronyms in Polymer Science

Compendium of polymer terminology and nomenclature.
Publication Date: 2009

IUPAC's systematic definitions and rules for the naming of polymer molecules, assemblies, solutions, and crystals. Known as the "Purple Book."
Comprehensive polymer science.
Publication Date: 1989

Treatise covering the basic concepts of polymer science, focusing on synthetic polymers. Cumulative subject index in vol. 7.
Concise encyclopedia of plastics.
Publication Date: 2000

25,000 A to Z concise entries covering information and terminology from the plastics industry. Also contains several review chapters on the "World of Plastics."
Condensed encyclopedia of polymer engineering terms.
Publication Date: 2001

Working definitions and explanations for nearly 400 terms used in the polymer and plastics industry.
Encyclopedia of polymer science and technology.
Publication Date: 4th ed., 2014

Covers all aspects of polymer sciences (physics, chemistry, biology) and engineering. Articles contain extensive bibliographies.
Encyclopedic dictionary of polymers.
Publication Date: 2nd ed., 2011

Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology
Excellent information source presents a wealth of information on preparation, manufacturing processes, uses of materials, properties of chemical substances, and chemistry fundamentals.
No access for topics published after 2022.

Plastics engineering handbook.
Publication Date: 5th ed., 1991

Manual of the Society of the Plastics Industry, with a glossary, chapters on materials and processing methods, and index.
Polymeric materials encyclopedia.
Publication Date: 1996

1,166 articles by worldwide experts on the synthesis, properties, and applications of polymeric systems. Subject index in vol. 12.
Polymer lexicon.
Publication Date: 1998

More than 5000 abbreviations and acronyms used in the rubber and plastics industries.
Polymer science : a comprehensive reference.
Publication Date: 2012

An update and revision of the earlier Comprehensive polymer science.
Polymer science dictionary.
Publication Date: 3rd ed., 2017

Dictionary covering the non-technology areas of polymer science, including some biopolymers, but not nucleic acids. Entries for both basic concepts and individual polymers and trade names.
Polymer technology dictionary.
Publication Date: 1994

Complementary volume to Polymer Science Dictionary, providing information on the processing, testing, and properties of polymeric materials.
Rosato's plastics encyclopedia and dictionary.
Publication Date: 1993

Definitions of 11,000 commonly used plastics terms and expressions.
Ullmann's Encyclopedia of Industrial Chemistry
Publication Date: 2011, 7th ed.

Comprehensive coverage of industrial chemistry topics, with a more European focus. Complements Kirk-Othmer.

Printed collections of spectra of polymers, plastics, rubbers, and other macromolecular substances are included here:

Spectra and Spectral Data
by Anna McGilvray Last Updated Jun 18, 2025 6888 views this year

Find them in the Library Catalog. Print books on polymer-related topics are scattered across a number of areas of the Library of Congress Classification system, depending on their focus:

QC463.P5 - Polymer spectra
QD139.P6 - Polymer characterization and analysis
QD281.P6 - Organic polymerization
QD380-389 - Polymer chemistry, general and specific
QP801.P64 - Biopolymers
TA455P5/P58 - Physical/mechanical properties of polymeric materials
TP156.P6 - Polymerization processes (industrial)
TP1101-1185 - Polymer and plastics engineering and products