Guest: Burcu Saner Okan, Sabancı University
Title: Driving Sustainability: Advances in Waste Management for Green Graphene Synthesis and Lightweight Thermoplastic Manufacturing
Date/Time: 30 April 2025, 13:40
Location: FENS G032
Abstract: Recycling studies in the waste tires, waste plastics, and waste carbon fiber reinforced composites industries play a crucial role in advancing sustainable waste management practices, reducing environmental impact, and fostering a circular economy mindset. Instead of traditional recycling processes, it is possible to produce high value-added carbon nanomaterials by using a rich hydrocarbon source in plastics and rubbery materials which are also primary source for graphene. Also, sustainable green graphene enhanced compounds can be produced by gathering different waste sources and providing suitable compatibilization with sizing solutions and functionalized additives in compounding process. At this point, upcycling is a significant concept to bring an end to the life cycle of materials and open various new application routes for graphene production and its sustainable plastic materials. The present work provides an insight into the importance of green synthesis methods in graphene nanomaterials synthesis by combining recycling and upcycling technologies. It is observed that different plastic wastes based on their aromaticity and alifaticity and thermoset wastes and biomass can lead to the formation of different dimensional graphene structures such as 2D plates/sheets and 3D spheres. The produced graphene materials are used for the design of lightweight composite structures for automotive and plastic industry by reducing adverse environmental impacts and adopting energy-efficient manufacturing technologies. Furthermore, responsible management of carbon fiber waste through recycling and reuse initiatives is imperative for sustaining the carbon fiber industry and mitigating its environmental footprint. The widespread use of carbon fiber reinforced composites (CFRP) and the anticipated growth in consumption have led to substantial CFRP waste accumulation. Through the development of graphene derived from waste, compound formulations are devised using recycled polymer sources (e.g., PP and PA), natural fibers (such as hemp and flax), and recycled carbon fibers, aiming to replace glass fiber reinforced plastic in commodity products. Additionally, Life Cycle Assessment studies integrate into raw materials and parts, fostering circular economy models. Consequently, this multidisciplinary work ensures significant innovation potential of graphene in the field of thermoplastic-based composites and overcomes the needs by addressing greenhouse gas emissions with sustainable designs.
Bio: Professor Burcu Saner Okan earned her B.Sc. in Chemistry from Middle East Technical University in 2005 and her M.Sc. and Ph.D. in Materials Science and Engineering from Sabancı University in 2007 and 2011, respectively. She is a research- and application-oriented faculty member in the Departments of Materials Science and Nanoengineering, as well as Manufacturing Technologies, at Sabancı University. Dr. Saner Okan held the position of academic director at the Sabancı University Composite Research Center between 2022-2024. In addition, Dr. Saner Okan is co-founders of Nanografen and Euronova Next-Generation Sustainable Plastic Materials Companies. Dr. Saner Okan is involved in sustainable advanced materials research, creating compound solutions using recycled and natural sources for thermoplastic processing and advanced thermoplastic systems by integrating recycling technologies. Throughout her career, Dr. Saner Okan has secured funding totaling $5.0 million for national and international projects at Sabancı University. Her areas of expertise include graphene, polymer nanocomposites, compounding, surface chemistry, electrospinning, recycling, upcycling, and circular economy practices. She has 70 articles published in international journals, 8 book chapters, 2 issued and 1 licensed patents and presented over 50 conference papers in these fields.