Costas Tzoganakis, PEng

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, Canada
• 1983, Dipl. Eng. Chemical Engineering, Aristotle University, Greece

• 2001 Fellowship, Chemical Institute of Canada
• 2015 Heinz List Award - In recognition of outstanding achievements in polymer devolatilization and reactive processing- Extrusion Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE)
• 2016 Fellow of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE)
• 2018 Heinz Hermann Award - In recognition of significant contributions to the advancement of twin-screw extrusion technology - Extrusion Division of the Society of Plastics Engineers (SPE)
• 2018 James L. White Innovation Award from the Polymer Processing Society (PPS) - The award is for an innovative development in the field of polymer processing technologies with recent commercial impact. It aims to recognize originality, innovation and creativity among researcher(s) or inventor(s) in the science and technology of processing polymers and polymeric products
• 1983 Scholarship, Bodossaki Foundation, Greece
• 1983 Sherman Bursary, McMaster University, Canada
• 1984 Scholarship, Bodossaki Foundation, Greece
• 1984 Sherman Bursary, McMaster University, Canada
• 1985 Scholarship, Bodossaki Foundation, Greece
• 1986 Scholarship, Bodossaki Foundation, Greece
• 1986 Research Scholarship, McMaster University, Canada
• 1987 Research Scholarship, McMaster University, Canada
• 1988 Research Scholarship, McMaster University, Canada
• 1997 Best Paper Award, Extrusion Division, Society of Plastics Engineers
• 1997 Best Publication Prize, Department of Chemical Engineering, UW
• 2000 CSChE Syncrude Canada Innovation Award
• 2001 Best Publication Prize, Department of Chemical Engineering, UW

• , , , , 2021
• 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, 5267, 2020
• 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, 100009, 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, , 2020
• E. Esmizadeh, C. Tzoganakis and T.H. Mekonnen, Degradation behavior of polypropylene during reprocessing and its biocomposites: thermal and oxidative degradation kinetics, Polymers, 1627, 2020
• X. Zhang, C. Tzoganakis and M. Zatloukal, Chemical Modification of Poly(1-Butene) Resins Through Reactive Processing, Polym. Eng. Sci., 1437, 2020
• 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, 109390, 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, , 0000
• S. Nie and C. Tzoganakis, Tailor-Made Controlled Rheology Polypropylenes from Metallocene and Ziegler-Natta Resins, Polym. Eng. Sci., 1114, 2019
• 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., 47006, 2018

• Four professors elected as Fellows of the Canadian Academy of Engineering