A bibliometric analysis of the scientific production of clay-based polymeric nanocomposites

Abstract

Clays and clay minerals are widely used in many aspects of modern society. Consequently, the development of polymer/clay nanocomposites has attracted significant interest because these materials exhibit substantial improvements in mechanical, physical, and chemical properties compared with the pure polymer matrix. These enhancements include increased strength and rigidity, improved rheological behavior, and, most notably, enhanced barrier properties against gases and liquids. The objective of this work was to review the scientific literature on clay-based polymer nanocomposites and their applications across research institutions worldwide through a bibliometric mapping analysis using the VOSviewer software. A reference management application was employed to retrieve and organize the survey data. The dataset resulted from a search using the keywords “clay and polymers and nanocomposites.” A total of 14,786 articles published between 1991 and 2022 were analyzed. The results showed that research on the production of clay-based polymer nanocomposites experienced substantial growth from 1995 to 2014, followed by a decline between 2015 and 2021. This study provides a useful reference for researchers by identifying research trends and helping guide the selection of targeted topics for future investigations.