Approved by the State Education Commission, the Institute of Polymeric Materials was established in 1985 to expand the Polymeric Materials Research Laboratory. The institute collaborates with and houses several joint research institutions, including the Institute of Friction and Sealing Materials (established in 1979) and the Institute of Dielectric and Functional Materials (established in 1993). At the university level, it is affiliated with the Institute of Automotive Science and Engineering (established in 1994), the Institute of Advanced Manufacturing Technology (established in 1995), and the Institute of Materials and Chemical Engineering (established in 1995).

The primary research areas of the institute include the structure and properties of polymeric materials, design and modification, synthesis and characterization, and processing and applications.