Improving the Sustainable Content in Thermoplastic Elastomers

Abstract

The addition of reinforcing fillers is an excellent way of improving material performance. With the right selection of fillers, the composite can also be made to be a more sustainable and lightweight material with enhanced properties. In this study, natural fillers have both been successfully dispersed into a commercial block copolymer TPE and TPO matrices. The effects of loading level on the mechanical (tensile, flexural, and impact) and thermal (crystallization behavior and thermal stability) properties were investigated.

About the Speaker

Dr. Alper Kiziltas’s research is focused on sustainability and emerging materials such as nanomaterials, polymeric and soft materials, biomaterials, glassy and amorphous materials, self-healing materials and bio-inspired and patterned functional materials. During his 5 years with the company, Alper has led research projects in a variety of polymer-based applications, including advanced and sustainable composites and polyurethane foams. His technical work on developing sustainable and advanced materials such as 1) graphene nanoplatelets (GNP) reinforced polyurethane foams (the first automotive OEM to introduce GNP enhanced products for high-performance applications at large volumes), 2) cellulose based hybrid composites (largest sustainable injection molded part in vehicles today), 3) 100% PCR from carpet recycle process-based PP and 4) rice husks filled PP led to implementation on NVH foams (12 different applications), console substrate, carbon canister (cross carline release), fan & shroud, body harness and wiring channels (5 different applications) for Ford vehicles built within North America and Europe.

Alper has received several key awards such as the best professional paper award at 2015, 2017 and 2018 SPE’s Automotive Composites Conference & Exposition, Ford R&A Technical Achievement Award and several SPE Part Competition Awards such as Most Innovative Production Part, People’s Choice, Environmental Category Winner, etc. Dr. Kiziltas has 10+ patents awarded/pending for sustainable and advanced materials, published over 60 external publications, and co-authored two book chapters. He was an invited member for the Nike External Chemistry Board, and has recently served as the Chair for the Industrial Advisory Board of the Center for Bioplastics and Biocomposites which is a collaborative effort by research team at ISU, WSU, NDSU, UGA and industry members (around 30 companies) to conduct commercially relevant research. Alper is also currently chair for Society of Plastics Engineers, Automotive Division. Alper received his M.S. and Ph.D. from the University of Maine. He holds a bachelor’s degree from Karadeniz Technical University (KTU).