Dr. Karnik Tarverdi Speaks at AUA on Innovations in Plastics Recycling

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YEREVAN, Armenia – On August 22  the American University of Armenia (AUA) hosted a lecture by Dr. Karnik Tarverdi on the state of innovations in the UK on plastics and its recycling.  The talk was organized by the AUA Acopian Center for the Environment (ACE) in collaboration with the AUA Akian College of Sciences and Engineering (CSE) and the Entrepreneurship and Product Innovation Center at AUA (EPIC).

Dr. Tarverdi spoke about the importance of understanding and controlling the composition and the structure of polymers and presented the unique mixing and injection moulding techniques developed by the Wolfson Centre for Materials Processing, which brings together expertise in the field of polymer processing with a wide range of industrial techniques in the field.

The public lecture attracted more than 40 people to attend the talk. There was great interest among the attendees on the UK experience in waste sorting and plastics packaging and recycling using intelligent separation technologies.  Also addressing the importance of sorting residential waste, Dr. Tarverdi emphasized not only the value of sorting but also the importance of using mechanisms and infrastructure that effectively handle the sorted waste.

The speaker also presented the new methods developed by Brunel University (UK) for plastics identification that enable innovative approaches to recycling. In closing, Dr. Tarverdi presented his views on the future trends in recycling methods and biopolymers. He also highlighted the solutions being developed with biodegradable plastics.

The video of Dr. Tarverdi’s talk is available here.

About the Speaker

Professor Karnik Tarverdi is Director of Extrusion Technology at the Wolfson Centre for Materials Processing, Institute of Materials and Manufacturing, Department of Mechanical, Aerospace and Civil Engineering at Brunel University London (UK). Dr. Tarverdi has extensive experience and expertise in developing and using sustainable inorganic composites for the continuous manufacture of engineering parts for the construction industry and innovative use of polymers for packaging including the use of recycled composites and the use of nano materials to enhance properties of organic and inorganic based materials.

Professor Tarverdi is involved in UK Government and European Union funded projects and has been at the forefront of developing and exploitation of continuous extrusion blending, profile and film blowing technology for the manufacture of composites and active films. He holds several patents and has published over 80 papers in national and international journals in compound and machine development for the manufacture and assessment of sustainable composites for industry. Professor Tarverdi lectures to MSc. Students on Advanced Materials Processing, including the use of nano fillers in polymers like organo clay and CNT, including using biodegradable polymers in lieu of petroleum-based polymers. He is a member of several professional societies including the Society of Plastics Engineers and the Society of Chemical Industry.

The AUA Acopian Center for the Environment, a research center of the American University of Armenia, promotes the protection and restoration of the natural environment through research, education, and community outreach. AUA Acopian Center’s focus areas include sustainable natural resource management, biodiversity and conservation, greening the built environment, clean energy, and energy efficiency, as well as information technology and the environment.