SIF 3rd Cohort Fellows - Derya KAYA OZDEMIR, University of Warwick
Curriculum Vitae
- Education
2014: MSc in Transportation Division, Civil Engineering Dokuz Eylul University (Turkey)
2012: BA in Civil Engineering, Dokuz Eylul University (Turkey)
- Experience
September 2017-August 2018: Academic Visitor, The University of Warwick (UK). Working as an academic visitor with a project on "polymer modified bitumen characterisation and aging properties of the bitumen”.
November 2014- August 2019: Research/Teaching Assistant, Dokuz Eylul University (Türkiye). Assisting the lectures in transportation subdivision, Training junior lab members in practical techniques to ensure competence and personal safety.
- Publications/Research achievement
Research Project:
ExtendRoadCycle
Production of asphalt roads is a major contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, some 10% of all infrastructure projects. Construction of asphalt roads with up to 100% recycled asphalt pavement (RAP) could save up to 70% in construction costs while reducing gas emissions by 75%. Rejuvenators are used in asphalt recycling where they are added to bitumen (asphalt road binder) oily fractions (saturates and aromatics) but they volatilize due to environmental effects in-service, a phenomenon known as bitumen aging. Rejuvenated bitumen can have better colloidal stability and properties than virgin bitumen, but currently rejuvenators are derived from fossil fuels. It is possible to reuse waste oils or bio-derived oils from waste materials, including from food. Additionally, the durability of RAP can be extended using waste plastics. Post pandemic, disposal of vast quantities (86 million per month (WHO)) of facemasks made from non-biodegradable plastics, is a global challenge but a potential source of additives that can enhance bitumen performance.
ExtendRoadCycle will focus on, i) extraction and characterization of novel rejuvenator oils from food wastes; ii) blending of these oils with bitumen to produce asphalt road formulations with 100% RAP; iii) testing the performance of these formulations and iv) blending of waste facemasks to alter the viscoelastic properties of aged bitumen. The recycling of bitumen, the use of food waste and facemasks, provides a sustainable route to meeting household waste recycling targets and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.