Alper Kiziltas

Ford Motor Company · Research and Innovation Centre

In the mobility market, there is a demand from customers for antimicrobial protection. As a result, the market has grown considerably to provide antiviral and antimicrobial polymers and coatings. This study examines how the efficacy of a non‐commercial antimicrobial thermoplastic elastomer will change over the life of the application. Using an exam...

Polyurethane (PU) foams are used in various automotive applications due to their low cost and weight and highly tunable mechanical and physical properties. This article explores the effect of adding recycled thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) and recycled thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) powder collected from 3D printing waste as filler material on ther...

The effect of three types of nanofillers on the physical, mechanical, and thermal properties of flexible polyurethane foams (FPUF) was studied. FPUF with nanofillers are of interest to the automotive industry due to their potential for enhancing compression properties and enabling sustainable foams. Holey and wrinkled flash graphene, and untreated...

A damping model is developed based on the mechanism of interfacial interaction in nanoscale particle reinforced composites. The model includes the elasticity of the materials and the effects of interfacial adhesion hysteresis. Specific results are given for the case of bio-based PA610 polyamide reinforced by nanocrystalline cellulose (CNC), based o...

Chemical modifications of pristine cellulose have been proven to be an effective way to limit moisture uptake and improve its compatibility with hydrophobic environments. Further understanding of the mechanism from an atomistic level would be more instructive in the design of such modifications. By modeling three functional molecules with short lin...

Sustainable manufacture caused shift in automotive manufacturing practices. Polymer‐based composites make up almost 15% mass of the entire vehicle, most importantly the fuel system of the vehicle. Poor electrical conductivity of the polymer composites leads to electrostatic deposition, which can lead to issues. Carbon based synthetic fillers like c...

Glass fiber‐polyamide 6 (PA6) composites are widely used for various automotive applications, yet the ability to exhibit multifunctional properties and the cost of it remains challenging. Herein this work introduces a cost‐effective approach for utilization of waste glass fiber (GF), green aluminium metal organic framework (Al‐MOF), and industry‐gr...

Composites consisting of bio-based polyamide 610 (PA610) reinforced with micro- and nano-cellulose were manufactured by melt compounding followed by injection molding. The resulting composites had fiber sizes ranging from nanoscale to 100 μm at 2.5%, 5% and 10% fiber mass fractions. These composites were mechanically characterized by tensile tests...

The transmission of the SARS-CoV-2 coronavirus has been shown through droplets generated by infected people when coughing, sneezing, or talking in close contact. These droplets either reach the next person directly or land on nearby surfaces. The objective of this study is to develop a novel, durable, and effective disinfecting antimicrobial (antiv...

An effective method that can produce a large amount of Kraft lignin with improved homogeneity is strongly desired for Kraft lignin's high-value applications and scientific advancements. Herein, a one-pot acid-catalyzed liquefaction method was developed to recover Kraft lignin directly from black liquor. The recovery rate and properties of the recov...

Accurate, fast, and flexible approaches for contact angle estimation in molecular dynamics simulations are of great importance for characterization of surface wettability, especially for machine learning approaches which would usually require thousands of computational contact angle evaluations for training and prediction purposes. However, evaluat...

Across the world, waste wool generated in farms and textile industries is often discarded without any utilisation. Low thermal stability of wool, i.e., melting of α-helix near 160 °C and degradation around 185–210 °C, further limits its use where a higher temperature is required. In the past, wool powder with slightly enhanced thermo-stability has...

Responsible disposal of vehicles at the end of life is a pressing environmental concern. In particular, waste plastic forms the largest proportion of non-recycled waste material from light-duty vehicles, and often ends up in a landfill. Here we report the upcycling of depolluted, dismantled and shredded end-of-life waste plastic into flash graphene...

The selective laser sintering (SLS) process generates waste polymer powders, which can be recycled as feedstock for producing injection‐molded components. Recycling this powder has implications on the life cycle modeling of the SLS product, as well as the subsequent injection‐molded component. This study investigates the life cycle primary energy d...

In recent years, automotive manufacturers have increased their use of natural fiber composites to reduce vehicle weight and improve carbon footprint. However, natural fibers have lower thermal stability than many synthetic fiber alternatives, limiting their application to low‐processing temperature polymers and low‐temperature automotive environmen...

Hexagonal boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) are promising two-dimensional materials to boost the mechanical, thermal, electrical, and optical properties of polymer nanocomposites. Yet, BNNS-polymer composites face many challenges to meet the desired properties owing to agglomeration of BNNSs, incompatibility, and weak interactions of BNNSs with the...

In this study, the objective was to develop hybrid composites combining the semi-crystalline engineered polysaccharide α-1,3-glucan (Nuvolve™) with typical long glass fiber in a polypropylene matrix to optimize specific indicators of performance while also considering environmental attributes. Morphological analyses were conducted in conjunction wi...

This research investigated a feasible approach to fabricating electrically conductive knitted fabrics using previously wet-spun wool/polyacrylonitrile (PAN) composite fibre. In the production of the composite fibre, waste wool fibres and PAN were used, whereby both the control PAN (100% PAN) and wool/PAN composite fibres (25% wool) were knitted int...

The heat generated by friction and wear between contact surfaces is detrimental to the performance of polymeric materials due to the low thermal conductivity of polymer materials. This work presents the effect of boron nitride (BN) nanosheets on the thermal and tribological properties of polyethylene (PE) materials. The molecular interaction betwee...

The strive for utilization of green fillers in polymer composite has increased focus on application of natural biomass-based fillers. Biochar has garnered a lot of attention as a filler material and has the potential to replace conventionally used inorganic mineral fillers. Biochar is a carbon rich product obtained from thermochemical conversion of...

Elastomer nanocomposites have attracted tremendous attention in recent years owing to their exceptional mechanical, electrical, thermal, barrier and flame-retardant properties. Graphene has become a prevalent constituent in elastomer nanocomposites thanks to its superior stiffness and strength, as well as its potential to enhance multifunctional pr...

In this study, graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) (2%, 4%, 6% and 8% by wt.) were incorporated into PA610 matrix via melt compounding using a twin-screw extruder to compensate for the relatively lower mechanical and thermal properties of bio-based PA610 compared to petroleum-based polyamide. Thermogravimetric analysis showed a slight improvement in therm...

This work aims to evaluate the potential of using textile waste in smart textile applications in the form of a hybrid fibre with electrical properties. The bio-based electrically conductive fibres were fabricated from waste wool and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) via wet spinning with different wool content. The control PAN and hybrid fibre produced with...

Characterization of structural information at the atomistic level in molecular dynamics (MD) simulations is a necessary task for researchers in the fields of materials modelling and simulation. Visualization of the density distribution is typically one of the most important properties in structural characterization. Visual Molecular Dynamics (VMD)...

Advanced hybrid biocomposites are engineered from nylon 6, waste wood biosourced carbon (biocarbon) with a low content of synthetic fiber for lightweight auto‐parts uses. The novel engineering process through direct injection molding of only 2 wt% synthetic fibers in the form of masterbatch with 20 wt% biocarbon, results outstanding performance of...

Globally, automotive manufacturers are looking for ways to produce environmentally sustainable and recyclable materials for automobiles to meet new regulations and customer desires. To enable the needs for rapid response, this study investigated the feasibility of using waste and virgin wool fibres as cost-effective and sustainable alternatives for...

In this study, biobased polyester‐ether polyols derived from meso‐lactide and dimer acids were evaluated for flexible polyurethane foams (PUF) applications. Initially, the catalyst concentration was optimized for the biobased PUF containing 30% of biobased polyol (70% petroleum‐based polyol). Then, the same formulation was used for biobased PUF syn...

With an objective to make automotive parts for environmentally friendly by replacing glass fibers with natural fibers for underbody shield application, this paper investigates the water absorption behavior of three types of compression-molded composites: all-glass (25% by wt.), all-kenaf (25% by wt.) and hybrid (12.5% glass and 12.5% kenaf by wt.)...

Metal organic frameworks (MOFs) have emerged as a new class of crystalline nanomaterials with ultrahigh porosities and high internal surface areas. Recently, these MOFs structures with their extraordinary inherent properties have become potential candidates for specific technologies in areas such as the automotive, defence, and aerospace industries...

Polyethylene (PE) are in demand for electrical insulation and thermal management applications; however, their low mechanical and thermal properties pose major challenges. Herein, we report on novel properties of PE-boron nitride (BN) nanocomposites prepared by melt compounding followed by injection molding. The thermal and mechanical properties of...

The effect of three different types of cellulose nanofillers on the morphology, mechanical, and thermal properties of flexible polyurethane foam was studied. Cellulose nanocrystals (CNC), cellulose nanofibrils (CNF), and cellulose filaments (CelFil) were used as fillers at 0.1–0.8 wt% loading levels. The comparison of the results showed that smalle...

The objective of this study was to produce a polyol from spent coffee grounds via acid liquification process that meets performance requirements for use in polyurethane applications. The spent coffee grounds based polyol was characterized and evaluated on a fully catalyzed model rigid polyurethane foam system. The pH of the polyol was 6.8, acid val...

Cellulose fibers are attracting considerable attention within the transportation industry as a class of reinforcing agents for polymer composites owing to their low cost, low density, high mechanical properties, and considerable environmental benefits. The objective of this study was to develop hybrid composites combining cellulose fiber with long...

With the objective of giving a new economic life to postindustrial waste poly(lactic acid) (PLA), biocomposites based on recycled PLA were manufactured using conventional melt blending, and the strands produced were successfully used for three-dimensional (3D) printing of American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) samples by means of the fus...

: In the recent years, automakers have been striving to improve the carbon footprint of their vehicles. Sustainable composites, consisting of natural fibers, and/or recycled polymers have been developed as a way to increase the “green content” and reduce the weight of a vehicle. In addition, recent studies have found that the introduction of synthe...

Lignin, while economically and environmentally beneficial, has had limited success in use in reinforcing carbon fibers due to harmful chemicals used in biomass pretreatment along with the limited physical interactions between lignin and polyacrylonitrile (PAN) during the spinning process. The focus of this study is to use lignin obtained from chemi...

To meet consumer demand for low carbon-footprint transportation, automakers have been replacing high-density fillers with low-density natural fibers in polymeric composites. Torrefaction can improve natural fiber composite thermal performance, but leads to significant fiber mass loss. This study sought to balance the benefits and limitations of tor...

In this study, effective microorganism (EM) was added into fermentation medium in static culture to enhance bacterial cellulose (BC) production by Acetobacter xylinus 23769 strain. EM, specifically the original formulation of Baikal EM1 has a combination of specifically selected microorganisms capable of producing multiple benefits and contains lac...

Thermoplastic resins (linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), high-density polyethylene (HDPE), and polypropylene (PP)) reinforced by different content ratios of raw agave fibers were prepared and characterized in terms of their mechanical, thermal, and chemical properties as well as their morphology. The morphological properties of agave fibers a...

Aim of study: In this study, it was aimed to establish and optimize a production process for engineering thermoplastic composites based on heat treated wood fillers and SMA copolymer. Material and Methods: As wood material, pine wood (Pinus strobus L.), and as a thermoplastic copolymer material, Styrene Maleic Anhydride (SMA) copolymer were used in...

A considerable amount of powder residue is generated during the selective laser sintering (SLS) process. Processing the powder residue into filaments for extrusion-based additive manufacturing (EAM) provides an opportunity to recycle SLS residue without significantly reducing its value. In this study, the feasibility of using a milled carbon fiber...

As consumer demand for more fuel-efficient vehicles increases, automakers are looking for innovative ways to reduce the weight of vehicles. Many automotive-grade plastics contain traditional reinforcing fillers, such as glass or talc, to improve the mechanical properties of the material. By replacing these high-density fillers with natural fibers,...

Striving to utilize sustainable material sources, polyester polyols made via glycolysis and esterification of recycled polyethylene terephthalate (rPET) scrap were used to synthesize flexible polyurethane (PU) foams typically found in automotive interior applications. The objective of this endeavor was to ascertain if a closed-loop model could be e...

The objective of this research was to investigate the influence of exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP) particle diameter, filler loading, and the addition of coupling agents on the rheological and thermal properties of xGnP-filled impact modified polypropylene (IMPP) nanocomposites. xGnP-filled IMPP composites were manufactured via melt mixing...

This research was aimed to develop engineering thermoplastic composites based on recycled plastics and cellulose fibers in order to provide eco-friendly sustainable parts that meet certain requirements for automotive industry and to use recycled plastics for economic benefits. The composite networks were prepared using recycled PP, recycled PA12, t...

• Wood plastic composites (WPCs) have often been used in consumer applications, automotive industry and exterior construction. WPCs consist mostly of wood and thermoplastic polymer. WPCs can have superior outdoor durability and much lower maintenance costs than regular wood. WPCs can be used instead of wood. Styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) is used i...

An extensional flow mixture (EFM) system was studied, with the goal of achieving better distributive and dispersive mixing. The effects of different mixing strategies (masterbatch method (MB), polyethylene-grafted maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA) as a compatibilizer, and compounding devices, such as a single screw extruder (SSE), a twin screw extruder (T...

Nanoclay (NC) reinforced high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites were prepared by different melt compounding methods using (1) a single screw extruder (SSE), (2) twin screw extruder (TSE), (3) a combination of SSE and extensional flow mixer (EFM), and (4) a bowl mixer masterbatch method (MB). PE-grafted maleic anhydride (PE-g-MA) was used as a...

In this study, flexible polyurethane foam samples were prepared using concentrations of up to 50% of two novel polycarbonate polyols, Polyol D 251-20 and Polyol D 351-30, derived from the copolymerization of carbon dioxide (CO2) and epoxides, to determine whether the final foam products meet automotive standards for use in seating applications. In...

Glycerine treated nanofibrillated cellulose (GNFC) was prepared by mixing aqueous nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) suspensions with glycerine. Styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) copolymer composites with different loadings of GNFC were prepared by melt compounding followed by injection molding. The incorporation of GNFC increased tensile and flexural mo...

Thermoplastic epoxy resin (TPER)-based composites containing different amounts of ultra-fine cellulose (UFC) were prepared via melt compounding and injection molding. The effect of UFC loading on the mechanical properties and dynamic rheological behavior of the UFC-filled TPER composites was analyzed. The UFC-filled composites displayed higher comp...

This study describes changes in the viscoelastic and thermal properties of composites made with various percentages (up to 20 wt.%) of a natural fiber blend (a mixture of flax, kenaf, and hemp fibers) and polyamide 6 (PA 6). According to the differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) analyses, the incorporation of natural fibers produced minor changes...

Polymer composites with polyethylene (PE), microcrystalline cellulose (MCC), and coupling agent (PE-g-MA) were melt blended using a single screw extruder (SSE), twin screw extruder (TSE), and a combination of SSE and extensional flow mixer (EFM) and masterbatch method (MB). The rheological behavior, mechanical, thermal, and morphological properties...

The elastic moduli of PLA reinforced with 5 and 10 wt.% CNF with the carrier, at a frequency (ω) of 0.07, were 67% and 415% higher, respectively, than that of neat PLA. The shear viscosity at a shear rate of 0.01 (η0.01) for PLA + 10 wt.% CNF was 32% higher than that of the neat PLA matrix. The η0.01 of PLA reinforced with 5 wt.% CNF and the PHB ca...

Over the past several decades, interest in the development of new composite materials derived from cellulose-based fillers and thermoplastic polymer matrices has received considerable attention. The mechanical and rheological properties of the composites are found to be a function of the particle size, filler loading, dispersion and the interfacial...

The uniform dispersion of cellulose nanofibers (CNFs) in non-polar polymer matrices is a primary problem to overcome in creating novel nanocomposites from these materials. The aim of this study was to produce CNF-polyethylene (PE) nanocomposites by melt compounding followed by injection molding to investigate the possibility of using polyvinyl alco...

Recent years have witnessed an enormous expansion of research and technology developments especially in automotive industry on bio-based polyamides. In spite of the increasing scientific and industrial activity, there is still one major problem associated with biobased polyamides in general: their relatively high cost when compared with their petro...

The use of sustainable composites is becoming increasingly favorable in the auto industry. By using combinations of recycled polymers and natural reinforcements to replace traditionally unfilled, glass filled, and talc filled polymeric components, the environmental impact of each vehicle can be reduced. The objective of this study was to develop co...

Bio-based polyamides are among the most promising families of bioplastics based on fully or partially derived renewable sources because of their low density, good mechanical and thermal properties, and durability. Bio-based polyamides (e.g., PA 11, PA 1010, and, to a lesser extent, PA 610) are also key resins for automotive applications because the...

The use of sustainable composites is becoming increasingly favorable in the auto industry. By using combinations of recycled polymers and natural reinforcements to replace traditionally unfilled, glass filled, and talc filled polymeric components, the environmental impact of each vehicle can be reduced. The objective of this study was to develop co...

Nanocomposites of polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) and cellulose were made by a solution casting method using acetone as the solvent. The nanofiber networks were prepared using three different types of cellulose nanofibers: (i) nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC), (ii) cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) and (iii) bacterial cellulose from nata de coca (NDC). The...

The aim of this study was to determine morphological characterization, mechanical properties and thermal stability of natural fillers-filled styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) copolymer composites. SMA and cellulosic fillers including starch, α-cellulose, and ultra-fine cellulose (UFC) were used to manufacture composites in thermal melting mixer. The m...

The aim of this study was to measure the thermal properties of foamed nano/macro filler reinforced styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) composites. SMA (66%) as a polymer matrix (10% maleic anhydride content) and various fillers including: wood flour, starch, α-cellulose, microcrystalline cellulose or cellulose nano fibrils as reinforcing agents (30%) an...

The aim of this study is to investigate the foaming of styrene maleic anhydride (SMA) matrix composites with a physical foaming agent, created during the reactive extrusion of natural fillers and SMA. The effect of lubricant on the foaming of SMA composites was also investigated. Whether particle’s crystallinity and hydroxyl number had any effect o...

This study is to investigate the reinforcing effects of fillers on mechanical and physical properties of foamed styrene-maleic anhy- dride (SMA) composites. According to the results, the best foaming was determined for starch reinforced SMA composite. The best result of expansion ratio was found as 22.75% to SMA/starch composites. Stereo light micr...

In this study, engineering thermoplastic composites were prepared from microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)-filled nylon 6. MCC were added to nylon 6 using melt mixing to produce compounded pellets. The MCC-filled nylon 6 composites with varying concentrations of MCC (from 2.5 to 30 wt%) were prepared by injection molding. The tensile and flexural prop...

Recent years have seen a sharp increase in interest around the world regarding cellulose nanocomposites. The number of publications including research papers and patents on the preparation of nanocomposites containing cellulose nanofibers has dramatically increased. One of the major challenges in cellulose nanocomposite applications is the lack of...

Melt rheology and crystallization behavior of polyamide 6 (PA 6) and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) composites were systematically studied in this research. The incorporation of MCC into the PA 6 matrix resulted in higher complex viscosities (|η*|), storage modulus (G′), and shear viscosities than those of neat PA 6, especially at low frequencies...

Exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP)-filled impact modified polypropylene (IMPP) composites were prepared at 2, 4, 6, and 8 wt% xGnP with and without the addition of a coupling agent and manufactured using melt mixing followed by injection molding. The coupling agent used in this study was polypropylene-graft-maleic anhydride. The nanoparticles...

The effect of drying method on selected material properties of nanocellulose was investigated. Samples of nanofibrillated cellulose (NFC) and cellulose nanocrystals (CNC) were each subjected to four separate drying methods: air-drying, freeze-drying, spray-drying, and supercritical-drying. The thermal stability and crystallinity of the dried nanoce...

The isothermal and non-isothermal decompositions of cellulose nanofiber (CNF) and microfibrillated cellulose (MFC)-filled polypropylene (PP) composites were evaluated and compared with microcrystalline cellulose (MCC)-filled composites by means of thermogravimetric analysis (TG). X-ray diffraction was employed to evaluate crystallinity of the compo...

In this study, engineering thermoplastic composites were prepared from natural fiber blend–filled nylon 6. Natural fiber blend from a mixture of kenaf, flax, and hemp fibers were added to nylon 6 using melt mixing to produce compounded pellets. The natural fibers/ nylon6 composites with varying concentrations of natural fibers (from 5 to 20 wt%) we...

Polymer nanocomposites have received considerable emphasis in materials science and engineering research and development. Nanofillers are added to polymer matrices to create novel materials with the goal of enhancing specific material properties depending on the final application of the composite. Interfacial forces play an important role in the cr...

Exfoliated graphite nanoplatelets (xGnP)-filled impact-modified polypropylene (IMPP) composites were prepared at 2, 4, 6, and 8 wt % xGnP with and without the addition of a coupling agent and manufactured using melt mixing followed by injection molding. The coupling agent used in this study was polypropylene-graft-maleic anhydride (PP-g-MA). The na...

Carmakers and their suppliers push cellulose-based material use for a variety of reasons depending on regulatory, economic, company policy-related and product-specific purposes. In spite of being the most abundant natural polymer on earth, the processing of cellulose into different types of micro- and nano structures has only recently received cons...

Graphene-based nanocomposites demonstrate superior electrical, mechanical, physical and thermal properties. Because of this, they have moved swiftly from the research laboratory into the marketplace in applications including: aerospace, automotive, coatings, electronics, energy storage, coatings and paints. Based on the huge interest, enhanced prop...

Abstract Carmakers and their suppliers push cellulose-based material use for a variety of reasons depending on regulatory, economic, company policy-related and product-specific purposes. In spite of being the most abundant natural polymer on earth, the processing of cellulose into different types of micro- and nano structures has only recently rece...

To evaluate surface compatibility in wood-plastic composites (WPCs), the dispersion and acid–base components of surface energy of various thermoplastic resins (matrices) and several wood-based reinforcing materials were determined using inverse gas chromatography (IGC). Polypropylene (PP), nylon 6, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET), poly(trimethyl...

Natural fibers have several benefits over glass and mineral fibers: they are “green” and eco-friendly; they have high specific strength and modulus; they exhibit sound damping at lower cost and density. Since there is no one optimal fiber for all applications, the goal of this research is to develop blends of natural with optimal physical propertie...

The dynamic mechanical behavior and thermal properties of nylon 6 composites containing from 2.5wt.% to 30wt.% MCC were investigated using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The DSC results indicated that there was no consistent or significant change in the glass...

Polymer composite materials were prepared from poly(ethylene terephthalate)–poly(trimethylene terephthalate) blends as the matrix and different microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) filler levels (0–40 wt%) using melt compounding followed by compression molding. The composites were analyzed using dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA), differential...

Exfoliated graphite nanoplatelet (xGnP)-filled polymer composites have demonstrated excellent physical, thermal and mechanical properties and are garnering attractiveness as a nanoscale reinforcing filler in academic and industrial R&D activities. The objective of this research was to investigate the effect of particle diameter, filler loading and...

In this study, we investigate the effect of particle diameter size, filler loading and coupling agent on the mechanical properties of exfoliated graphite nanoplatelet (xGnP)-filled impact modified polypropylene (IMPP) nanocomposites. xGnP-filled IMPP nanocomposites were prepared at 2, 4, 6, and 8 wt. % xGnP with and without the addition of a coupli...

Dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) tests were conducted on high-oil content, paraffin-based wax used in wax-coated granular composites. These composites make up the surface of synthetic Thoroughbred horse racetracks used in North America. The modulus and damping response from the DMTA tests were correlated with the dynamic triaxial shear st...

Polymer composite materials consisting of poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET)-poly(trimethylene terephthalate) (PTT) blends and microcrystalline cellulose (MCC) were prepared by injection molding. The composites were analyzed for tensile, flexural, and impact strength as well as density determinations. There was no statistical difference in terms of...