Erdogan Kiran

Honors and Professional Recognition

Special Honors

• Director, Workshop on Supercritical Fluids and Energy, Campinas, Brazil, 2013.
• Editor, Elsevier Book Series on Supercritical Fluid Science and Technology, 2009-present.
• International Monitor, The Journal of Chemical Engineering of Japan, 1999-2000.
• University of Maine, Presidential Research and Creative Achievement Award, 1995.
• Director and co-organizer, NATO Advanced Study Institutes on Supercritical Fluids, Kemer, Turkey; July 1993; and July 1998.
• Editorial Board Member, Turkish Journal of Engineering and Environmental Sciences, 1989 - present.
• Founding Editor and Editor-in-Chief, Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 1987-present.
• Gottesman Research Professor of Chemical Engineering, University of Maine, 1986 -2000.

Plenary or Keynote Lectures

• Plenary Lecturer, 15th European Meeting on Supercritical Fluids, Essen, Germany, May 2016.
• Keynote Lecturer, 11th International Symposium on Supercritical Fluids, Seoul, Korea, October 2015.
• Keynote Lecturer, 23rd International SAOT Workshop on In Situ Optical Diagnostics for Process Technologies, Erlangen, Germany, March 2015.
• Plenary Lecturer, 7th Meeting of the Experts on Compressed Fluid Technologies, Flucomp 2014, Barcelona, Spain, June 2014.
• Plenary Lecturer, 13th European Meeting on Supercritical Fluids, The Hague, The Netherlands, October 2011.
• Keynote Lecturer, 8th International IUPAC Conference on Polymer-Solvent Complexes and Intercalates, Strasbourg, France, July 2010.
• Keynote Lecturer, Workshop on Supercritical Fluid Processing of Biopolymers and Biomedical Devices, Funchal, Madeira, Portugal, November 2009.
• Plenary Lecturer, Ruhr University-Bochum, Interdisciplinary Graduate Research School Symposium, Bochum, Germany, November 2008.
• Plenary Lecturer, 1st International Symposium on Supercritical Fluid in Fiber /Textile Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan, June 2008.
• Plenary Lecturer, 5th International Symposium on High Pressure Processes Technology and Chemical Engineering, Segovia, Spain, June 2007.
• Plenary Lecturer, 5th Brazilian Meeting on Supercritical Fluids, Florianopolis, Brazil, April 2004.
• Plenary Lecturer, 6th Conference on Supercritical Fluids and Their Applications, Maiori, Italy, September 2001.
• Plenary Lecturer, 1st International Meeting on High Pressure Chemical Engineering, Karlsruhe, Germany, March 1999.

Distinguished Institutional Lectureships

• Distinguished Guest Lectures, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Valladolid, Spain, May 2009.
• Distinguished Guest Lectures, Department of Chemical Engineering and Food Science, University of Salerno, Italy, May 1996.

Scientific and / or Organizing Committees of International Conferences

• International Scientific Committee, 11th International Symposium on Supercritical Fluids, Antibes, France, April 2018.
• International Scientific Committee, 16th European Meeting on Supercritical Fluids, Lisbon, Portugal, April 2017.
• International Scientific Committee, Green Solvents Conference, Kiel, Germany, October 2016.
• International Scientific Committee, 15th European Meeting on Supercritical Fluids, Essen, Germany, May 2016
• Honorary Organizing Committee Member, 4th Iberoamerican Conference on Supercritical Fluids, Viña del Mar, Chile, April 2016.
• International Scientific Committee, 5th International Conference on BioFoams, Sorrento, Italy, October, 2015.
• International Scientific Committee, 11th International Symposium on Supercritical Fluids, Seoul, The Republic of Korea, October, 2015.
• International Advisory Board, 7th Green Solvents Conference, Dresden, Germany, October, 2014.
• Scientific Committee Member, 10th Conference on Supercritical Fluids and Their Applications, Naples, Italy, May 2013.
• Honorary Organizing Committee Member, 3rd Iberoamerican Conference on Supercritical Fluids, Cartagena, Colombia, April 2013.
• Organizing / Scientific Committee Member, 10th International Symposium on Supercritical Fluids, San Francisco, USA, May 2012.
• Scientific Committee Member, 9th Conference on Supercritical Fluids and Their Applications, Sorrento, Italy, September 2010.
• Scientific Committee Member, 2nd Iberoamerican Conference on Supercritical Fluids (Prosciba 2010), Natal, Brazil, April 2010.
• Scientific Committee Member, 1st Iberoamerican Conference on Supercritical Fluids (Prosciba 2007), Iguassu Falls, Brazil, April 2007.
• Scientific Committee Member, 3rd International Meeting on High Pressure Chemical Engineering, Erlangen, Germany, 2006.
• Organizing Committee Member, 4th International Symposium on High Pressure Process Technology and Chemical Engineering, Venice, Italy, May 2002.
• Scientific Committee Member, 4th International Symposium on Supercritical Fluids, Sendai, Japan, May 1997.

Symposium / Technical Session Organization / Chair

• Organizer and Chair, Two sessions on "High Pressure Phase Equilibria and Modeling", AIChE Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California, November 2016.
• Organizer and Co-Chair, Session on "Supercritical Fluids for Polymer Foams, Scaffolds and Organogels", AIChE Annual Meeting, San Francisco, California, November 2016.
• Chair, Session on "Material Applications", 11th International Symposium on Supercritical Fluids, Seoul, Korea, October 2015.
• Chair, Session on "Supercritical Fluid Science & Technology for New Materials and Materials Processing", Workshop on Supercritical Fluids and Energy, Campinas, Brazil, December 2013.
• Chair, Session on "Polymers, Materials Applications and Processes", 10th International Symposium on Supercritical Fluids, San Francisco, CA, 2012.
• Organizer and Chair, Session on Pharmaceutical, Biomedical and Biotechnology Applications Using Compressible or Supercritical Fluids, AIChE Annual Meeting , Minneapolis, MN, 2011.
• Organizer and Co-chair, Sessions on Thermodynamics under High Pressure, AIChE Annual Meeting, Indianapolis, November 2002.
• Organizer and chair, Symposium on Thermosetting Polymers, Princeton University, September 1995.
• Organizer and Chair, Session on Experimental Techniques and Special Topics on Supercritical Fluids, AIChE Annual Meeting, San Francisco, CA, 1994.
• Organizer and Co-chair, Symposium on Supercritical Fluids, AIChE Annual Meeting, Los Angeles, November 1991.
• Organizer and Chair, Symposium on Biopolymers in Supercritical Fluids, 199th ACS National Meeting, Boston, April 1990.

Other Professional Recognitions

• Virginia Tech Authors recognition, 2015, 2016.
• Invited panelist, Chemical Engineering Science - Unilever Conference on Putting Structure into Chemical Engineering, Chester, United Kingdom, November, 1996.
• "Who is Who" in Science and Engineering, 1992.
• Consulting Professor, Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkey, 1991.
• Member, AIChE High-Pressure Committee, 1986 - 1996.
• University of Maine, Pulp and Paper Foundation Fellow, 1985.
• Educational Council for MIT in Turkey, 1980.

Administrative Recognition

• Department Head, Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Tech, January 2000- September 2005.
• Board of Directors, Turkish Pulp and Paper Manufacturers Association, Istanbul, Turkey, 1978-1989.
• Director, Central Laboratory, State Pulp and Paper Manufactures, Turkey, 1976-1979.

Research Interests

Our research activities are at the cross-sections of

Supercritical Fluids,
High Pressure Techniques, and
Polymer Science and Technology

with a quest for improved understanding of the fundamentals of complex systems for applications pertaining to formation, modifications and processing of polymers in dense fluids at high pressures that offer new opportunities for formation of microstructured or functional materials ranging from particles to foams.

Supercritical fluids are neither gas nor liquid but can be compressed gradually from low to high density. As a result a wide range of properties from gas-like to liquid-like become accessible by these fluids by simple manipulations of pressure and/or temperature. As such, these are tunable fluids that can be customized for a given application. They are ideal for selective and or sequential separations by pressure or density tuning. For example, along an isotherm depending upon the fluid density, the fluid may be tuned to behave as a specific solvent for a specific substance at one pressure, but as a non-solvent at another pressure.

Historically, the pressure-tunable characteristics were first put to commercial practice for selective extractions in the food industry as in decaffeination of coffee and tea. In the analytical field, these concepts were adopted in supercritical fluid chromatography that is also commercial. The applications have expanded dramatically over the past couple of decades to include a wide range of operations that are encountered in various industries ranging from pharmaceuticals to microelectronics, but most notably in the areas of polymers and biomedical materials.

Along an isotherm above the critical temperature, the density and as a consequence the solvating power of a supercritical fluid can be continually changed without entering the two-phase regions.

The motivations in using supercritical fluids stem from the fact that

1. Their physicochemical properties can be conveniently changed by density or pressure-tuning, and can be further modified through compositional tuning when using binary fluid mixtures,
2. They can be used not only as a solvents or diluents, but also as non- solvents,
3. They can facilitate recycling of the solvent, removal of the solvent from the products, and the recovery of the products from the solvent, or facilitate the processing of traditional materials,
4. They are easy to adopt for hybrid- or coupled-methodologies such as simultaneous reaction and separation, or modulated miscibility, phase separation and property modifications,
5. They can be used as replacement of undesirable solvents, and be environmentally benign and / or less harmful compared to traditional organic solvents as is the case with carbon dioxide-based processes. Carbon dioxide is considered to be GRAS (generally regarded as safe) and is of special interest in processing of materials for pharmaceutical and medical applications.

Our research program is aimed at understanding both the equilibrium and time-dependent aspects of the physicochemical processes involving these fluids. In particular, the solubility, reactivity, and stability of various substances ranging from relatively simple molecules to complex synthetic or natural polymeric systems in single and multi-component fluids are being studied.

We are particularly interested in mixtures of fluids like carbon dioxide with organic solvents such as acetone, ethanol, ethyl acetate or hydrocarbons like pentane, n-octane, or toluene which expand the utility of dense fluids to a wider range of application areas. Recent activity is expanding the scope to mixtures that incorporate ionic liquids.

Unique experimental systems have been developed for continuous evaluations of density as a function of pressure at a given temperature. Such fundamental volumetric data help identify the phase state of the mixture, and also provide the basic density versus pressure functions from which all other derived thermodynamic quantities such as isothermal compressibility, isobaric expansivity, thermal pressure coefficient, solubility parameters, and excess volumes can be readily generated.

Variation of density with pressure for a mixture of carbon dioxide + ethyl acetate with 42.6 wt % carbon dioxide. [N. Falco and E. Kiran, Volumetric properties of ethyl acetate plus carbon dioxide binary fluid mixtures at high pressures, J. Supercritical Fluids, 61, 9-24 (2012)].

For Polymer Formation and Modifications, supercritical or dense fluid media offer high level of flexibilities. A wide range of miscibility and phase separation conditions can be achieved by simply changing the applied pressure in the systems, which would otherwise be achievable only by changing the solvent media. When working with such compressible fluids, pressure becomes an effective tuning parameter that can be used to shift the LCST and UCST (lower and upper critical solution temperatures) and significantly alter the domains of miscibility.

Therefore, a major fundamental research focus in our laboratory is the investigation of the miscibility and phase separation conditions and the dynamics of phase separation processes. A particularly important topic is the consequences of the phase separation path followed and whether or not the system traverses through the metastable Nucleation & Growth regime or enters directly into the thermodynamically unstable Spinodal Decomposition regime. Equally important are how the vitrification and crystallization boundaries are altered. Whether or not homogenous liquid regions are entered when a polymer is exposed to a dense fluid affects how the system will then behave when subjected to a pressure quench.

Practical application areas of current interest in our laboratory are foaming and formation of micro- or nano-porous materials for biomedical applications; crystal or morphological modifications for advanced materials development involving fibers, membranes, or other microstructured- or functional-materials; encapsulation for controlled-release drugs and inclusion complexes; and polymer synthesis with simultaneous morphology development.

Our interest in polymers are in both high-volume commodity or engineering polymers like polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene or polyacrylontirile; specialty polymers that are of significance in biomedical applications such as poly(ε-caprolactone), poly(hydroxy butyrate), poly(p-dioxanone), poly(lactide-co-glycolide); and bio-based natural materials and polymers such as cyclodextrins, wood, cellulose and lignin.

Liquid-Liquid (L-L) and Solid-Fluid (SF) phase boundaries are determined by monitoring the changes in the transmitted light intensities (Itr) in a variable-volume view-cell equipped with a movable piston (MP) and sapphire windows (SW) while the system pressure (P) is altered with the aid of a pressure generator (PG) at a given temperature, or while the system temperature (T) is altered while maintaining the pressure. Experiments conducted for different polymer concentrations are then used to generate the temperature-composition or pressure-composition diagrams. Pressure induced phase separation leads to either formation of particles (at low polymer concentrations) or porous networks with closed pores (at high polymer concentrations) if Nucleation and Growth (NG) domains are entered, or to the formation of interconnected porous networks if Spinodal Decomposition (SD) regions are entered.

The precipitation copolymerization of acrylonitrile with 2-chlorostyrene and methyl methacrylate can lead to different particle morphologies at the same comonomer contents. [S. D. Yeo and E. Kiran, Copolymerization of acrylonitrile with methyl methacrylate and 2-chlorostyrene in supercritical CO2, Macromolecules, 37(22), 8239-8248 (2004).
Polyethylene can be crystallized from solutions in n-pentane + carbon dioxide in highly uniform lamellar morphologies which can be controlled with pressure. [W. Zhang and E. Kiran, High pressure crystallization and melting of polyethylene in n-pentane, Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 38, 406-419 (2006)]
Different polymorphic states with fibrillar-porous or lamellar morphology of syndiotactic polystyrene can be generated by following different phase separation paths from toluene + carbon dioxide solutions. [J. Fang and E. Kiran, Thermoreversible gelation and polymorphic transformations of syndiotactic polystyrene in toluene and toluene + carbon dioxide fluid mixtures at high pressures, Macromolecules, 41, 7525-7535 (2008)].
>Poly(ε-caprolactone), a biodegradable polymer, can be recrystallized or foamed when exposed to supercritical carbon dioxide at different pressures and temperatures. [E. Kiran, K. Liu, K. Ramsdell, Morphological changes in poly (ε-caprolactone) in dense carbon dioxide, Polymer, 49, 1853-1859 (2008)].
Melting temperature of biodegradable polymers poly(hydroxy butyrate) and poly (hydroxy butyrate-co-hydroxy valerate) can be significantly lowered when exposed to supercritical carbon dioxide. [S. Takahashi, J. C. Hassler, E. Kiran, Melting behavior of biodegradable polyesters in carbon dioxide at high pressures, J. Supercritical Fluids, 72, 278-287 (2012)].
Poly(p-dioxanone) which is a polymer with significance for biomedical applications can be dissolved in, or foamed from mixtures of carbon dioxide with acetone. [E. Kiran, Modifications of biopolymers in dense fluids. Miscibility and foaming of poly(p-dioxanone) in carbon dioxide plus acetone fluid mixtures, J. Supercritical Fluids, 66, 372-379 (2012)].
During crystallization, polymers can undergo twisting of lamellae leading to "ring-banded spherulites". The cross-polarized micrographs shown above display the ring-banded spherulites that are formed in poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) (PHBV) crystallized at 90 °C in CO2 at various pressures. The blue bands display mottling which increases with pressure. Mottling arises from pore formation as CO2 is excluded from the lamellae during crystallization. [S. Takahashi, E. Kiran, Development of ring-banded spherulitic morphologies and formation of radially oriented nano-pores in poly (hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate) during crystallization, J. Supercritical Fluids 96, 359-368 (2015).
Reliable measurements of density of fluid mixtures over a wide range of T and P conditions allow effective modeling and the asessement of the volumetric properties as well as the solubility parameters. These figures show the solubility parameter of "[EMIM]Cl + ethanol" mixtures at 348 K as predicted by the Sanchez-Lacombe EOS. [ J. S. Dickmann, J. C. Hassler, E. Kiran, Modeling of the volumetric properties of ionic liquid+ethanol mixtures and estimation of the solubility parameters of ionic liquid+ athnaol mixtures with the Sanchez-Lacombe and Simha-Somncynsky equations of state: [EMIM]Ac + ethanol and [EMIM]Cl + ethanol mixtures, J. Supercritical Fluids 98, 86-101 (2015)].
Recent research in our laboratory employs a unique gradient-temperature foaming apparatus which allows the combinatorial exploration of foaming of polymers in supercritical carbon dioxide which is illustrated above for foaming of a sheet of poly (methyl methacrylate) under a temperature gradient field at 34.8 MPa. At each temperature pore morphology is shown in going from the center towards the top surface of the crosssection. [M. T. Ngo, J. S. Dickmann, J. C. Hassler, E. Kiran, A new experimental system for combinatorial exploration of foaming of polymers in carbon dioxide: The gradient foaming of PMMA, J. Supercritical Fluids, 109, 1-19 (2016).

Members of the Research Team and Collaborators at Virginia Tech (2000-Present)

Zeynep Bayraktar (Visiting researcher, 2000)
Ke Liu (Visiting researcher, 2000)
Prof. Sang-Do Yeo (Visiting scholar, 2004)
Cigdem Dindar (MS, 2001)
Gerd Upper (Diploma Thesis, 2002)
Daniel Beckel (Diploma Thesis, 2002)
Frank Schuch (Diploma Thesis, 2003)
Christopher Kornmeyer (Diploma Thesis, 2004)
Jan Koop (Diploma Thesis, 2004)
Elizabeth Joyce (UG Independent Research, 2004)
Matthew Novak (UG Summer Intern, 2004)
Katrina Ramsdell (UG Independent Research, 2005)
Wei Zhang (Ph. D., 2005)
Kun Liu (Ph.D., 2007)
Jian Fang (Ph.D., 2008)
Kathryn Corcoran (UG Independent Research, 2009)
Theresa Cutler (UG Independent Research, 2009)
Aaron Siepka (UG Summer Intern, 2010)
Dr. Juan M. Milanesio (Postdoctoral Fellow, 2011)
Casey Bolin (UG Summer Intern, 2011)
Wesley Sellers (UG Summer Intern, 2011)
Christy Mays (UG Independent Research, 2011)
Bryce Stickle (UG Independent Research, 2011)
Dr. Nunzia Falco (Visiting Scholar, 2011)
Melanie Merrick (UG Summer Intern, 2012)
Katharine Revitsky (UG Independent Research, 2012)
Andrew Nadler (UG Independent Research, 2012)
Shinya Takahashi (Visiting Scientist, 2011-2013)
Heather Grandelli (Ph.D., 2013 expected)
Dr. Ing. Sulamith Frerich (Visiting Scientist, 2013)
Daniel Aube (UG Independent Research, 2013-2014)
KwangHae Noh (Visiting UG Exchange Research Student - Research 2013)
Mai Ngo (UG Independent Research, 2014-2015)
Dr. Joon-H Yim (Visiting Scientist, 2014-2015)
Macy Lupton (UG Independent Research, 2015)
Lauren Pironis (UG Independent Research, 2015-2016)
Jenna Sumey (UG Independent Research, 2015-2016)
Joey Sarver (UG Independent Research, 2016)
Carter Berry (Graduate Research, Summer 2016)
Scott Holahan (UG Independent Research, 2016)
James Dickmann (Ph.D., current)
Michael Williams (Ph.D., current)
Prof. John C. Hassler (Collaborating Scientist 2010-present)

With research group members, 2009-1013.
With research group members, 2013- 2015.
With research group members, 2015-2016.

Facilities

Our laboratory is equipped with high-pressure instrumentation for investigations of thermo-physical properties (density, compressibility, expansivity, pressure coefficient, excess volumes) of fluids and fluid mixtures, and phase state of fluid mixtures and polymer solutions.

Facilities include unique variable-volume view cells, and laser light scattering systems, for investigation of both the thermodynamics and the kinetics of miscibility and phase separation in polymer solutions at pressures up to 1000 bar. Some of the cells incorporate dedicated custom designed mixers to work with very viscous media. All systems are computer interfaced.

Mechanistic dynamics of phase separation (nucleation and growth versus spinodal decomposition) as well as the practical dynamics of phase separation (time scale i.e., fast or slow nature of phase settlement times) are assessed.

A range of unique capabilities exist for foaming and micro- or nano-porous polymer formations in dense fluid media. The facilities permit either free-foaming explorations or foaming within molds with porous walls.

Capabilities exist also for interfacial tension measurement, assessment of sorption of dense fluids in polymeric matrices, and solution extrusion of polymers swollen or dissolved in dense fluid media.

Capabilities for viscosity determinations are currently in the process of being upgraded to give the flexibilities to work with solutions of low and high viscosities and also allow assessment of shear-rate effects.

The unique dual-piston variable-volume view-cell system for assessment of volumetric properties and the phase state in fluid mixtures and polymer solutions.

Selected Publications

The Journal of Supercritical Fluids

This journal is a key Chemical Engineering Journal with respect to its impact factor. It was founded by Professor Kiran in 1987. The first issue appeared in December 1987. Professor Kiran has been the Editor-in-Chief since then.

January 2009 issue (Volume 47(3)) is a special commemorative 20th year anniversary issue consisting of 33 articles in which the members of the journal's Editorial Board review the past two decades of research and developments and provide their perspectives and insights on the future directions in various application areas of the supercritical fluid science and technology.

December 2010 issue (Volume 50(2)) is another commemorative issue comprised of 50 contributions by experts from around the world that provides perspectives on the continuing impact of the van der Waals Equation of State at the occasion of van der Waals receiving the Nobel Prize 100 years ago on December 12, 1910.

January 2015 issue (Volume 96) is a special issue conciting of 35 contributions by experts who participitated at the NSF sponsored Workshop on Supercritical Fluids and Energy which was held in Campinas, Brazil in 2013. This issue also marks the 25th year anniversary of the journal.

Journal homepage - www.elsevier.com/locate/supflu

With editorial board members attending the 10th International Symposium on Supercritical Fluids, San Francisco, USA, May 2012.

Book Series on Supercritical Fluid Science and Technology

Professor Kiran is the Series Editor of the recently launched book series on Supercritical Fluids Science and Technology. The objective of this book series published by Elsevier is to produce high-level pedagogical monographs that can be used both as teaching tools and serve as key reference volumes. The books which are authored by one or two experts systematically treat a given topical area starting from the basics. Seven volumes have already appeared. Additional volumes are at different stages of development.

Supercritical Fluid Science and Technology Series. Editor: Erdogan Kiran

Volume 1. Can Erkey, Supercritical Fluids & Organometallic Compounds. From Recovery of Trace Metals to Synthesis of Nanostructured Materials, Elsevier, Amsterdam. 2011. [233 pages].

Volume 2.. Ulrich K. Deiters and Thomas Kraska, High-Pressure Fluid Phase Equilibria. Phenomenology and Computation. Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2012 [342 pages].

Volume 3. Esteban Brignole and Selva Pereda, Phase Equilibrium Engineering, Elsevier, Amsterdam 2013 [To appear later in 2013].

Volume 4. Richard Smith, Hiroshi Inomata, Cor Peters, Introduction to Supercritical Fluids. A spreadsheet-based approach, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2103. [711 pages].

Volume 5. Gerd Brunner, Supercritical Water and Hydrothermal Processes, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2014. [666 pages].

Volume 6. Michael Türk, Particle Formation with Supercritical Fluids. Challenges and Limitations, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2014. [152 pages].

Volume 7. Andreas Braeuer, In Situ Spectroscopic Techniques at High Pressure, Elsevier, Amsterdam, 2015. [376 pages].

Other Edited Books

Professor Kiran and his colleagues have edited four other books. One of these is based the symposium on supercritical fluids which he had organized at the AIChE Annual Meeting in Los Angles in 1991. Two of the books are based on the NATO Advanced Study Institutes that he had organized in 1993 and 1998 in Kemer, Turkey. Each of these two-week long summer schools brought together more than 100 leading scientists, doctoral students and postdoctoral fellows. Many of the young scientists who attended these Institutes are now themselves leading names around the world. These books are structured, comprehensive treatments of the field and are based on are comprised of the key pedagogical lectures that were given at these summer schools. Another book is a book of extended abstracts of presentations given at the NSF sponsored Workshop on Supercritical Fluids and Energy that was held in Campinas, Brazil in 2013.

1. E. Kiran and J. F. Brennecke (Editors), Supercritical Fluid Engineering Science, ACS Symposium Series, No. 514, American Chemical Society: Washington, D.C., 1993. [410 pages].
2. E. Kiran and J. M. H. Levelt Sengers (Editors), Supercritical Fluids-Fundamentals for Application, NATO ASI Series E: Applied Sciences- Vol. 273, Kluwer Academic Publishers: Dordrecht, Netherlands, 1994. [796 pages].
3. E. Kiran, P. G. Debenedetti and C. J. Peters, Supercritical Fluids: Fundamentals and Applications, NATO ASI Series E: Applied Sciences- Vol. 366, Kluwer Academic Publishers: Dordrecht, Netherlands, 2000. [596 pages].
4. Angela A. Meireles and Erdogan Kiran, Workshop on Supercritical Fluids and Energy, Mercado de Lettras, Campinas, Brazil, 2013. [388 pages].

Selected Journal Articles (2000-present)

1. Y. Xiong and E. Kiran, Kinetics of pressure-induced phase separation (PIPS) in polystyrene + methylcyclohexane solutions at high pressures, Polymer, 41, 3759-3777 (2000).
2. Z. Bayraktar and E. Kiran, Miscibility, phase separation, and volumetric properties of solutions in poly (dimethylsiloxane) in supercritical carbon dioxide, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 75, 1379 -1403 (2000).
3. Y. B. Melnichenko, E. Kiran , K. D. Heath, S. Salaniwal, H. D. Cochran, M. Stamm, W. A. van Hook, and G. D. Wignall, Comparison of the behavior of polymers in supercritical fluids and organic solvents via small angle neutron scattering, Journal of Applied Crystallography, 33, 682-685 (2000).
4. S. D. Yeo and E. Kiran, High-pressure viscosity of polystyrene solutions in toluene + carbon dioxide binary mixtures", Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 75, 306-315 (2000).
5. K. Liu and E. Kiran, Pressure-induced phase separation in polymer solutions. Kinetics of phase separation and crossover from nucleation and growth to spinodal decomposition in solutions of polyethylene in n-pentane, Macromolecules, 34, 3060-3068 (2001).
6. E. Kiran and K. Liu, The miscibility and phase separation of polyethylene with poly(dimethylsiloxane) in near-critical pentane, Korean Journal of Chemical Engineering, 19, 153-159 (2002).
7. C. Dindar and E. Kiran, High-pressure viscosity and density of polymer solutions at the critical polymer concentration in near-critical and supercritical fluids, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry-Research, 41, 6354-6362 (2002).
8. C. Dindar and E. Kiran, Reliable method for determination of the velocity of a sinker in a high-pressure falling body type viscometer, Review of Scientific Instruments, 73, 3664-3670 (2002).
9. W. Zhang and E. Kiran, Phase behavior and density of polysulfone in binary fluid mixtures of tetrahydrofuran and carbon dioxide under high pressure: Miscibility windows, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 86, 2357- 2362 (2002).
10. S. D. Yeo, I. Kang and E. Kiran, Critical polymer concentrations of polyethylene solutions in pentane, Journal of Chemical & Engineering Data, 47, 571-574 (2002).
11. W. Zhang and E. Kiran, PVT behavior and miscibility of ternary system polysulfone +THF + CO2 at high pressures, Journal of Chemical Thermodynamics, 35, 597- 615 (2003).
12. W. Zhang, C. Dindar, Z. Bayraktar, and E. Kiran, The phase behavior, density and crystallization of polyethylene in n-pentane and in n-pentane + CO2 at high pressures, Journal of Applied Polymer Science, 89, 2201-2209 (2003).
13. S. D. Yeo and E. Kiran, Copolymerization of acrylonitrile with methyl methacrylate and 2-chlorostyrene in supercritical CO2, Macromolecules, 37(22), 8239-8248 (2004).
14. S. D. Yeo and E. Kiran, Formation of polymer particles with supercritical fluids, Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 34(3), 287-308 (2005). [This manuscript is among the top-cited papers published in this journal].
15. G. Upper, W. Zhang, D. Beckel, S. Shon, K. Liu and E. Kiran, Phase boundaries and crystallization in polyethylene in-n-pentane and n-pentane + carbon dioxide fluid mixtures, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry-Research, 45, 1478-1492 (2005).
16. J. Fang and E. Kiran, Crystallization and gelation of isotactic poly (4-methyl-1-pentene) in n-pentane and n-pentane + CO2 at high pressures, Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 38, 132-145 (2006).
17. W. Zhang and E. Kiran, High pressure crystallization and melting of polyethylene in n-pentane, Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 38, 406-419 (2006).
18. K. Liu, F. Schuch, E. Kiran, High pressure viscosity and density of poly(methyl methacrylate) + acetone and poly(methyl methacrylate) + acetone + CO2 systems, Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 39, 89-101 (2006).
19. K. Liu and E. Kiran, Miscibility, viscosity and density of poly(ε-caprolactone) in acetone + carbon dioxide binary fluid mixtures, Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 39, 192-200 (2006).
20. J. Fang and E. Kiran, Kinetics of pressure-induced phase separation in polystyrene + acetone solutions at high pressures, Polymer, 47, 7943-7952 (2006).
21. K. Liu and E. Kiran, Viscosity, density and excess volume of acetone + carbon dioxide mixtures at high pressures, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry-Research, 46, 5453-5462, (2007).
22. K. Liu and E. Kiran, A tunable mixture solvent for poly(ε-caprolactone): Acetone + carbon dioxide, Polymer, 48, 5612-5625 (2007).
23. Z. Bayraktar and E. Kiran, Gradient blending of poly(dimethyl siloxane) with polystyrene and polyethylene in supercritical carbon dioxide, Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 44, 48-61 (2008).
24. E. Kiran, K. Liu, K. Ramsdell, Morphological changes in poly (ε-caprolactone) in dense carbon dioxide, Polymer, 49, 1853-1859 (2008).
25. K. Liu and E. Kiran, High pressure solution blending of poly(ε-caprolactone) with poly(methyl methacrylate) in acetone + carbon dioxide, Polymer, 49, 1555-1563 (2008).
26. K. Liu and E. Kiran, Density and viscosity as real time probes for progress of high-pressure polymerizations: Polymerization of methyl methacrylate in acetone, Industrial & Engineering Chemistry- Research, 47, 5039-5047 (2008).
27. J. Fang and E. Kiran, Thermoreversible gelation and polymorphic transformations of syndiotactic polystyrene in toluene and toluene + carbon dioxide fluid mixtures at high pressures, Macromolecules, 41, 7525-7535 (2008).
28. E. Kiran, Polymer miscibility, phase separation, morphological modifications and polymorphic transformations in dense fluids, Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 47, 446-483 (2009).
29. E. Kiran, G. Brunner, R. L. Smith, The 20th anniversary of the Journal of Supercritical Fluids - A special issue on future directions in supercritical fluid science and technology, Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 47, 333-335 (2009).
30. J. Fang and E. Kiran, Gelation, crystallization and morphological transformations of syndiotactic polystyrene in acetophenone and acetophenone + carbon dioxide mixtures at high pressures, Journal of Supercritical Fluids, 49, 93-102 (2009).
31. E. Kiran, Foaming strategies for bioabsorbable polymers in supercritical fluid mixtures. Part I. Miscibility and foaming of poly(L-lactic acid) in carbon dioxide plus acetone binary fluid mixtures, J. Supercritical Fluids, 54, 296-307 (2010).
32. E. Kiran, Foaming strategies for bioabsorbable polymers in supercritical fluid mixtures. Part II. Foaming of poly(epsilon caprolactone - co-lactide) in carbon dioxide plus acetone binary fluid mixtures and formation of tubular foams via solution extrusion, J. Supercritical Fluids, 54, 308-319 (2010).
33. N. Falco and E. Kiran, Volumetric properties of ethyl acetate plus carbon dioxide binary fluid mixtures at high pressures, J. Supercritical Fluids, 61, 9-24 (2012).
34. E. Kiran, Modifications of biopolymers in dense fluids. Miscibility and foaming of poly(p-dioxanone) in carbon dioxide plus acetone fluid mixtures, J. Supercritical Fluids, 66, 372-379 (2012).
35. H. G. Grandelli, J. C. Hassler, A. Whittington, E. Kiran, Melting point depression of piroxicam in carbon dioxide + co-solvent mixtures and inclusion complex formation with β-cyclodextrin, J. Supercritical Fluids, 71, 19-25 (2012).
36. S. Takahashi, J. C. Hassler, E. Kiran, Melting behavior of biodegradable polyesters in carbon dioxide at high pressures, J. Supercritical Fluids, 72, 278-287 (2012).
37. H. Grandelli, E. Kiran, High pressure density, miscibility and compressibility of poly(lactide-co-glycolide) solutions in acetone and acetone + CO2 binary fluid mixtures, J. Supercritical Fluids, 75, 159-172 (2012).
38. E. Kiran, J. C. Hassler, R. Srivastava, Miscibility, phase separation and phase settlement dynamics in solutions of EPDM in propane +n-octane binary fluid mixtures at high pressures, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 52, 1806-1819 (2013).
39. J. M. Milanesio, J. C. Hassler, E. Kiran, Volumetric properties of propane, n-octane.
and their binary mixtures at high pressures, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research, 52, 6592-6609 (2013).
40. H. E. Grandelli, J. S. Dickmann, M. T. Devlin, J. C. Hassler, and E. Kiran, Volumetric properties and internal pressure of poly(a-olefin) base oils, Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research 52 17725-17734 (2013).
41. H. E. Grandelli, B. Stickle, A. Whittington, E. Kiran, Inclusion complex formation of β-cyclodextrin and naproxen: a study on exothermic complex formation by differential scanning calorimetry, J. Inclusion Phenomena and Macrocyclic Chemistry 77, 269-277 (2013).
42. S. Takahashi, J. C. Hassler, E. Kiran, Light scattering behavior and the kinetics of pressure-induced phase separation in solutions of poly (e-caprolactone) in acetone + CO2 binary fluid mixtures, Polymer 54, 5719-5732 (2013).
43. S. Takahashi, J. C. Hassler, E. Kiran, Miscibility, phase separation and volumetric properties in polymer solutions of poly (e-caprolactone) in acetone + CO2 binary fluid mixtures at high pressures, J. Supercritical Fluids 84, 43-60 (2013).
44. E. Kiran, M. A. A. Meireles, Workshop on Supercritical Fluids and Energy, Campinas 2013 - Outcomes report, J. Supercritical Fluids 96, 3-10 (2015).
45. S. Takahashi, E. Kiran, Development of ring-banded spherulitic morphologies and formation of radically oriented nano-pores in poly(hydroxybutyrate-co-hydroxyvalerate) during crystallization, J. Supercritical Fluids 96, 359-368 (2015)
46. J. S. Dickmann, J. C. Hassler, E. Kiran, Modeling of the volumetric properties of ionic liquid +ethanol mixtures and estimation of the solubility parameters of ionic liquid + ethanol mixtures with the Sanchez-Lacombe and Simha-Somcynsky equations of state: [EMIM]Ac + ethanol and [EMIM}Cl + ethanol mixtures, J. Supercritical Fluids 98, 86-101(2015).
47. M. T. Ngo, J. S. Dickmann, J. C. Hassler, E. Kiran, A new experimental system for combinatorial exploration of foaming of polymers in carbon dioxide: The gradient foaming of PMMA, J. Supercritical Fluids 109, 1-19 (2016).
48. E. Kiran, Supercritical fluids and polymers - The year in review - 2104, J. Supercritical Fluids 110, 126-153 (2016).

Invited Seminars at Academic Institutions and Corporate Research Centers (2000-present)

Seminars at Academic Institutions

1. "Polymer solutions at high pressures. Miscibility, phase separation and blending in supercritical fluids", Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, October 5, 2000.
2. "Polymer modification in dense and supercritical fluids- A pathway to microstructured materials, School of Pharmacy, University of London, United Kingdom, December 2, 2002.
3. "High pressure miscibility and phase separation in polymer solutions" Institute for Physical Chemistry, University of Bochum, Germany, December 5, 2002.
4. "High pressure miscibility and phase separation in polymer solutions", Institute for Physical Chemistry, University of Dortmund, Germany, December 6, 2002.
5. "Miscibility and phase separation in polymer solutions in dense fluids - High pressure pathways for formation of microstructured materials", Department of Chemical Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina, April 7, 2003.
6. "Miscibility and phase separation in polymer solutions in dense fluids. Challenges and opportunities", Department of Chemical Engineering, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia, March 5, 2004.
7. "High-pressure miscibility and phase separation in polymer solutions", Chemical Engineering Department, University of California at Los Angeles, May 7, 2004.
8. "Morphological modifications of polymers in dense fluids", Chemical and Biological Engineering Department, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, Virginia, October 4, 2006.
9. "Polymer solutions in dense fluids: Crystallization, gelation and morphological modifications", Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering, Koc University, Istanbul, Turkey, June 3, 2008.
10. "Polymers, Dense Fluids and Functional Materials", Interdisciplinary Research School, Ruhr University-Bochum, Bochum Germany, November 6, 2008.
11. "Polymorphic transformations of polymers in dense fluids", Karlsruhe Institute of Technology-Forschungszentrum, Karlsruhe, Germany, November 19, 2009.
12. "Polymer solutions and modifications in supercritical or dense fluids", Departments of Mechanical and Chemical Engineering, Tufts University, Boston, Massachusetts, March 29 2012.
13. "Evolution of applications of supercritical fluids in the area of polymers", Seminar at the Chemical Engineering Department, Istanbul Technical University, Istanbul, Turkey, June 17, 2014.
14. "Melting point depression, morphology development and pore formation in semi-crystalline polymers during crystallization in CO2", Seminar at the Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering Department, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY, March 16, 2015.

Delivering the Keynote Lecture at the 23rd International SAOT Workshop on In Situ Optical Diagnostics for Process Technologies, Erlangen, Germany, March 2015.

Seminars at Corporate Research Centers

1. "High Pressure polymer miscibility and phase separation in dense fluids", Semitool Inc., Kalispell, Montana, May 29, 2002.
2. "High pressure miscibility and phase separation in polymer solutions in dense or supercritical fluids", Dow Chemical Company, Freeport, Texas, February 10, 2005.
3. "Formation of functionally graded polymeric materials in dense fluids", DuPont-Tyvek, Richmond, Virginia, October 5, 2006.
4. "Polymer solutions and processing in dense or supercritical fluids", UHDE Pressure Technologies, Hagen, Germany, November 7, 2008.
5. "Polymer solutions at high pressures", Afton Chemicals, Richmond, Virginia, March 17, 2011.
6. "Polymer modifications and processing in dense fluids - Alternative pathways to forming particles, fibers, foams, composites and blends, Seminar at Solvay Specialty Polymers, Corporate Research Center, Alpharetta, Georgia, May 1, 2012.

Former Students / Postdoctoral Fellows / Visiting Scholars at University of Maine [Prior to 2000] and at Virginia Tech [Since 2000] and Their Most Recent Affiliations

1. Emel Kemik (MS., 1981), present affiliation unknown.
2. Sharon Olds (UG Summer Intern, 1982), present affiliation unknown.
3. Lori Tuttle (UG Senior Thesis, 1983), Senior Manager, Surfaces, -USG Building Materials, Chicago, Illinois.
4. Patrick R. Riley (UG Senior Thesis, 1984), Director, Project Management Group, Alexion Pharmacueticals, Chesire, Connecticut.
5. Carl J. Marsano (UG Senior Thesis, 1984), Senior Engineer, AMEC Power and Process Americas, Portland, Maine.
6. Michael A. Masse (MS., 1984), Intellectual Property Manager, Kraton Polymers, Houston, Texas.
7. Robert Sabo (UG Senior Thesis, 1985), Manufacturing Manager, Interplex Etch Logic, Providence, Rhode Island.
8. David Mitchell (UG Senior Thesis, 1986), Current affiliation unknown.
9. Nitin G. Apte (MS., 1986), Management Consultant, New York City, New York.
10. Robert Carter (UG Senior Thesis, 1987), Current affiliation unknown.
11. Dr. Vasudev Saraf(Ph.D., 1988), Technical Manager-Alumina, Sasol North America, Lake Charles, Louisiana.
12. Dr. Lixiong Li(Ph.D., 1988), Principal, Hydrogy LLC, Panama City, Florida.
13. Chandrakant R. Bhavsar (MS., 1989), San Francisco Bay Area Think Tank Group, California.
    
14. Laura J. Pingel (MS., 1990), Chief Operating Officer, Bioactive Surgical Inc., Clarksville, Maryland.
15. Dr. Yasar Lutfu Sen (Ph.D., 1991), Quality Compliance Group Manager, Zentiva, Turkey.
16. Rajan Iyer (MS., 1992), Research and Developmant Manager, Rapid Commercialization, Georgia Pacific, Decatur, Georgia.
17. Benjamin West (UG Senior Thesis, 1993), Asia Pacific Sales and Operations Leader, WRGrace, Boston, Massachusetts.
18. Dr. Hulya Balkan(MS., 1988; Ph.D., 1993), Consultant, Pulp and Papermaking, Istanbul, Turkey.
19. Mohan R. Khadilkar (MS., 1993), Vice President, Global Industrial Technology, Valspar Corp, Minneapolis, Minnesota.
20. Zeliha Gokmeoglu (Graduate Researcher 1993-1994), Marketing Manager, FTAHome.
21. Steven M. Violette (UG Senior Thesis, 1994), Senior Scientist, Fiber Materials Inc., Biddeford, Maine.
22. Khaled Malki (MS., 1995), Manager of Business Excellence, Growth Technologies, Electronic Materials, Dow Chemical Co., Boston, MA.
23. Michael G. Schweyer (Graduate Researcher, 1994), present affiliation unknown.
24. Pam Petzold (Graduate Researcher, 1994), present affiliation unknown.
25. Dr. Wenhao Zhuang(Ph.D., 1995), Manager, Quality Assurance at EXFO Service Assurance, Boston, Massachusetts.
26. Dr. Giovanna Della Porta (Visiting Scientist, 1997), University of Salerno, Salerno, Italy.
27. Dr. Holger Pӧhler (Postdoctoral Fellow, 1996-1998), Research Manager, Kemira Chemicals, Espoo, Finland.
28. Dr. Sang-Do Yeo (Postdoctoral Fellow, 1998; Visiting Scholar, 2004), Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Kyungpook National University, Daegu, South Korea.
29. Dr. Jintong Li (Postdoctoral Fellow, 1998), Manager, Fluid Sealing Technology Branch, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited, Ontario, Canada.
30. Dr. Yan Xiong (MS., 1993; Ph.D., 1998), Vice President, Pharmacy Strategy and Analytics, Tampa, Florida.
31. Ke Liu (MS., 1999), present affiliation unknown.
32. Zeynep Bayraktar (MS., 1999), Sales Manager, Ashland Specialty Ingredients, Istanbul, Turkey.
33. Cigdem Dindar (MS., 2001), Global Process Development Director, Unilever, Chester, United Kingdom.
34. William Kuhlman (UG Independent Research, 2004), present affiliation unknown.
35. Gerd Upper (MS/Diploma Thesis, 2002),present affiliation unknown.
36. Daniel Beckel (MS/Diploma Thesis, 2002),present affiliation unknown.
37. Frank Schuch (MS/Diploma Thesis, 2003),present affiliation unknown.
38. Christopher Kornmeyer (MS/Diploma Thesis, 2004),present affiliation unknown.
39. Jan Koop (MS/Diploma Thesis, 2004),present affiliation unknown.
40. Elizabeth Joyce (UG Independent Research, 2004), Assistant Brand Manager, Procter and Gamble, Cincinnati, Ohio.
41. Matthew Novak (UG Summer Intern, 2004), Graduate School, Biomedical Engineering, Duke University, Durham, North Carolina.
42. Katrina Ramsdell (UG Independent Research, 2005), Graduate School, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Michigan.
43. Dr. Wei Zhang(Ph.D., 2005), Research Associate, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA.
44. Dr. Kun Liu (Ph.D., 2007), Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Hefei University, Anhui Province, China.
45. Dr. Jian Fang (Ph.D., 2008), Family Business, Newark, Delaware.
46. Kathryn Corcoran Berkman (UG Independent Research, 2009), GE Power and Water, Ballston Lake, New York.
47. Theresa Cutler (UG Independent Research, 2009), present affiliation unknown.
48. Aaron Siepka (UG Summer Intern, 2010), present affiliation unknown.
49. Dr. Nunzia Falco (Visiting Scientist, 2010-2011), Research Scientist, Merk, Rome, Italy.
50. Dr. Juan M. Milanesio(Postdoctoral Fellow, 2011), Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, National University of Cordoba, Cordoba, Argentina.
51. Casey Bolin (UG Summer Intern, 2011), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.
52. Wesley Sellers (UG Summer Intern, 2011), Present affiliation not known.
53. Christy Mays (UG Independent Research, 2011), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.
54. Katharine Revitsky (UG Independent Research, 2011), Process Engineer, Michelin,Columbia, SC.
55. Bryce Stickle (UG Independent Research, 2012), Nuclear Engineer, Newport News Shipbuilding, Chesapeake, VA.
56. Melanie Merrick (UG Summer Intern, 2012), Graduate Student, University of Texas at Austin, TX.
57. Andrew Nadler (UG Independent Research, 2012), Plant Engineer, Dow Chemical Company, Hahnville, LA.
58. Daniel Aube (Undergraduate Independent Research, 2013-2014), Improvement Engineer, Dow Chemical Company, Plaquemine, Louisiana.
59. Shinya Takahashi (Visiting Scientist, 2011-2013), Kureha Corporation, Tokyo, Japan.
60. Dr. Sulamith Frerich (Visiting Scientist, 2013), Assistant Professor, Ruhr University, Bochum, Germany.
61. Dr. Heather Grandelli (Ph.D., 2013), Advanced Scientist, Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport, Tennessee.
62. Kwang Hae (Khan) Noh (2013), Korea. Present affiliation not known.
63. Mai Ngo (Undergraduate Independent Research, 2014/2015), Graduate student at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
64. Dr. Joon Hyuk Yim (Visiting Scientist, 2014-2015), Doosan Heavy Industry and Construction, Korea.
65. Macy Lupton (UG Independent Research, 2015), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.
66. Lauren Pironis (UG Independent Research, 2015-2016), Eastman Chemical Company, Kingsport Tennessee.
67. Jenna Sumey (UG Independent Research, 2015-2016), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.
68. Lauren Pironis (UG Independent Research, 2015-2016), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.
69. Scott Holahan (UG Independent Research, 2016), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.
70. Joey Sarver (UG Independent Research, 2016), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.
71. James Dickmann (Ph.D., Current), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.
72. Michael Williams (Ph.D., Current), Virginia Tech, Blacksburg, Virginia.

With Joey Sarver, UG Research Student, who received 1st Place Recognition for his poster entitled "Gradient Foaming of Polymers in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide" in the Materials Engineering and Sciences Section of the Undergraduate Poster Competition at the 2016 AIChE Annual Meeting in San Francisco, California.

[Dear Former Student, Colleague: If you see this page, please send me an email (ekiran@vt.edu) and let me know your latest affiliation, if different].