This study presents a bibliometric analysis of 1,129 publications on sustainable polymer-modified asphalt to identify global research trends and emerging knowledge gaps. Using VOSviewer (version 1.6.18), Web of Science-indexed literature was analysed to evaluate publication growth, collaboration networks, influential contributors, and thematic evolution. China (343 publications, 30.4%) and the United States (208 publications, 18.4%) are the leading contributors, together accounting for 48.8% of global output. Construction and Building Materials is the most productive journal (213 publications), while Filippo Giustozzi and Zhen Leng are identified as the most productive and most influential authors, respectively. Keyword co-occurrence analysis reveals five principal research clusters: rheological characterisation, performance evaluation, waste-derived modifiers, polymer modification mechanisms, and field applications. Temporal trends show a clear transition from conventional SBS-dominated modification (pre-2016) to sustainable waste-based alternatives, including waste cooking oil and recycled plastics, increasingly integrated with life cycle assessment approaches after 2020. Despite significant progress, gaps remain in large-scale field validation, standardised testing protocols, and balanced geographic representation, particularly in Africa and South America. The findings provide a structured roadmap for advancing circular economy integration in sustainable pavement engineering.
Shah et al. (Fri,) studied this question.