Costas Tzoganakis

Costas Tzoganakis is a Chemical Engineering Professor at the University of Waterloo.

He specializes in polymer engineering and is working on multiple research projects that include polymer reactive extrusion, rubber devulcanization using supercritical carbon dioxide, plastics and rubber nano-composites, sustainable bio-based polymers and coatings, inferential sensors for polymer compounding, and modification of polyolefins through reactive extrusion.

Professor Tzoganakis and his research team successfully developed a reactive extrusion technology on the melt-phase hydrosilylation of polypropylene. This technology facilitates the modification of polypropylene for increased adhesion, chemical reactivity and hydrophilicity, and is beneficial to manufacturers of engineered plastics and elastomers. Milliken, a worldwide manufacturer of specialty additives, has recognized the market opportunity to incorporate this technology in their line of products, and was able to secure a license for the technology.

Another significant contribution of Professor Tzoganakis is in the area of rubber devulcanization using supercritical carbon dioxide. His efforts have led to the development of a green technology that converts scrap tire rubber into a tire-derived polymer that can be used as a feed stock for new tire manufacturing, automotive seals and other elastomeric high value products. In addition to his teaching and research duties, Professor Tzoganakis serves as Chief Technology Officer of Tyromer Inc., a University of Waterloo start-up company that is working to commercialize a patented technology on rubber devulcanization.

In recognition of his research contributions, Professor Tzoganakis has received the following prestigious awards: (i) Syncrude Canada Innovation Award from the Canadian Society for Chemical Engineering (CSChE) in 2000, (ii) Heinz List Award from the Extrusion Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) in 2015, (iii) Heinz Hermann Award from the Extrusion Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE) in 2018, and (iv) James L. White Innovation Award from the Polymer processing Society (PPS) in 2018. Professor Tzoganakis is a Fellow of the Canadian Institute of Canada (CIC) and a Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE).

• Reactive Extrusion of Polymers
• Extrusion of Polymers with Supercritical CO2
• Devulcanization of Recycled Rubber with Supercritical Carbon Dioxide
• Plastics and Rubber Nanocomposites
• Bio-based Sustainable Polymers and Coatings
• Analysis and On-line Monitoring of Polymer Compounding Operations
• Polymer Rheology
• Mathematical Modeling and Numerical Simulation of Polymer Processing Operations

• 1989, Doctorate, Chemical Engineering, McMaster University
• 1983, Dipl. Eng., Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University

• CHE 211 - Fluid Mechanics
  • Taught in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021
• CHE 541 - Introduction to Polymer Sci
  • Taught in 2017, 2018
• CHE 543 - Polymer Production:
  • Taught in 2020, 2021
• CHE 641 - Fund of Polymer Process Optns
  • Taught in 2018, 2019, 2020, 2021

• Ojogbo, E.; Tzoganakis, C.; Mekonnen, T.H. Effect of extrusion, batch-mixing, and co-coagulation on the dispersion of CNCs in natural rubber - CNC nanocomposites. Composites: Part A 149(2021)106580 (Accepted in 2021)
• Jubinville, D.; Esmizadeh, E.; Tzoganakis, C.; Mekonnen, T. Thermo-mechanical recycling of polypropylene for the facile and scalable fabrication of highly loaded wood plastic composites. Composites Part B 219 (2021) 108873 (Accepted in 2021)
• E. Esmizadeh, C. Tzoganakis and T.H. Mekonnen, Degradation behavior of polypropylene during reprocessing and its biocomposites: thermal and oxidative degradation kinetics, Polymers, 18(2), 2020
• X. Zhang, C. Tzoganakis and M. Zatloukal, Chemical Modification of Poly(1-Butene) Resins Through Reactive Processing, Polym. Eng. Sci., 60, 2020, 1437 - 1445
• S. Saikrishnan, D. Jubinville, C. Tzoganakis and T.H. Mekonnen, Thermo-mechanical degradation of polypropylene (PP) and low-density polyethylene (LDPE) blends exposed to simulated recycling, Polym. Degrad. Stab, 182, 2020
• H. Eslami, C. Tzoganakis and T. H. Mekonnen, Chemical Modification of Cellulose Nanocrystals throughSurface Graft Polymerization of Lactic Acid and Application in Medical RubberComposites, Cellulose, 27(9), 2020, 5267 - 5284
• H. Eslami, C. Tzoganakis and T.H. Mekonnen, Constructing pristine and modified cellulose nanocrystals based cured polychloroprene nanocomposite films for dipped goods application, Composites Part C: Open Access, 1, 2020
• D. Jubinville, S. Saikrishnan, E. Esmizadeh, C. Tzoganakis and T.H. Mekonnen, A Comprehensive Review on Global Production and Recycling Methods of Polyolefin Based Products and TheirPost-Recycling Applications, Sustainable Materials and Technologies, 25, 2020
• H. Eslami, B.P. Chang, D. Jubinville, E. Ojogbo, C. Seto, C. Tzoganakis and T.H. Mekonnen, Can medical-grade gloves provide protection after repeated disinfection?, ACS Applied Polymer Materials
• S. Nie and C. Tzoganakis, Tailor-Made Controlled Rheology Polypropylenes from Metallocene and Ziegler-Natta Resins, Polym. Eng. Sci., 59(6), 2019, 1114 - 1121
• P. Sardashti, K. Stewart, M. Polak, C. Tzoganakis, and A. Penlidis, Operational Maps Between Molecular Properties and Environmental Stress Cracking Resistance (ESCR), J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 136(4), 2018
• P. Mutyala, S. Zhu and C. Tzoganakis, A Study on the Compatibilizationof Devulcanized EPDM and Polypropylene (EineStudie zur Kompatibilisierung von devulkanisiertem EPDM und Polypropylen), GAK Gummi Fasern Kunststoffe, 70(12), 2017, 794 - 800
• K. Silpcharu, R. Yeetsorn, N. Kreua-Ongarjnukool, A. Kritanusorn and C. Tzoganakis, Scratch Resistance and Impact Strength of Semi Interpenetrating Networked PMMA and PU with In Situ Produced Silica, Key Engineering Materials, 757, 2017, 3 - 8
• P. Mutyala, S. Zhu and C. Tzoganakis, A Study on the Compatibilization of Devulcanized EPDM and Polypropylene (Eine Studie zur Kompatibilisierung von devulkanisiertem EPDM und Polypropylen), GAK Gummi Fasern Kunststoffe, 70(12), 2017, 794 - 800
• Meysami, M and Tzoganakis, C and Mutyala, P and Zhu, SH and Bulsari, M, Devulcanization of Scrap Tire Rubber with Supercritical CO2: A Study of the Effects of Process Parameters on the Properties of Devulcanized Rubber, International Polymer Processing, XXXII(2), 2017, 183 - 193
• P. Mutyala, M. Meysami, S. Zhu and C. Tzoganakis, Statistical Analysis of the Compatibilization of Devulcanized Tire Rubber and Polypropylene by Peroxide/Sulphur Curing, GAK Gummi Fasern Kunststoffe, 70(2), 2017, 114 - 122
• R. Yeetsorn, T. Ungtrakul, K. Jariyakun, W. Prissanaroon-Ouajai, and C. Tzoganakis, Thermoplastic Vulcanizates/Recycled Polypropylene Blend for Automotive OEM, Key Engineering Materials, 757, 2017, 29 - 34
• Barborik, Tomas and Zatloukal, Martin and Tzoganakis, Costas, On the role of extensional rheology and Deborah number on the neck-in phenomenon during flat film casting, International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, 111, 2017, 1296 - 1313
• Yeetsorn, Rungsima and Fowler, Michael and Tzoganakis, Costas, Effect of Injection Flow on Conductive Network in Polypropylene-carbon-filler Composite Bipolar Plates, KMUTNB International Journal of Applied Science and Technology, 10(1), 2017, 31 - 42
• P. Mutyala, M. Meysami, S. Zhu and C. Tzoganakis, Statistical Analysis of the Compatibilization of Devulcanized Tire Rubber and Polypropylene by Peroxide/Sulphur Curing, GAK Gummi Fasern Kunststoffe, 70(2), 2017, 114 - 122
• Y. Amintowlieh, C. Tzoganakis and A. Penlidis, An Overview of the Potential of UV Modification of Polypropylene, Macromol. Symp., 360, 2016, 96 - 107