Jozef T Haponiuk Editor

Dr.Praveen K. M. is an Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Department of Mechanical Engineering, Muthoot Institute of Technology & Science, Kochi. Praveen obtained his Bachelor of Technology in Mechanical Engineering from University of Calicut and Master of technology (M.Tech) in Integrated Design and Manufacturing from Amrita Vishwa Vidyapeetham. Praveen pursued his PhD in Materials Engineering from at the University of South Brittany (Université de Bretagne Sud) ,Lorient, France. Prior to join PhD Dr.Praveen is worked as a faculty in Mechanical Engineering at SAINGITS College of Engineering, Kottayam. He is specialised in the area of Polymers and its composites. During his research career he has edited 8 books and published research papers in reputed journals such as Elsevier, Springer, Taylor and Francis etc. Praveen was also instrumental in delivering talks in national and International symposiums and conferences. Currently he is guiding 4 PhD students under collaboration mode. He also has worked and associated with the Jozef Stefan Institute, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Mahatma Gandhi University, India; and the Technical University in Liberec, Czech Republic, Gdańsk University of Technology,Poland. His current research interests include Polymer matrix composites, Fiber reinforced composites, Plasma surface engineering of polymers and fibers, Polymeric materials for shielding applications, surface modification of cellulosic surfaces, Nano composites, Nanocellulose based composites.

Rony Thomas Murickan is working as Assistant Professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Muthoot Institute of Technology & Science (MITS), Kochi. He is currently pursuing his PhD from Gdansk University of Technology, Poland. His doctoral research area is Keratin Based composites for high performance applications. Rony obtained his Master of Technology (M.Tech) in Manufacturing Engineering from VIT University, Vellore, India and Bachelor of Technology (B.Tech) in Mechanical Engineering from Amal Jyothi College of Engineering, Kottayam, Kerala. Before joining MITS he worked as an Assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, Amal Jyothi College of engineering, Kerala. He has been selected as Summer Faculty Research Fellow by IIT Delhi during May – July 2016. His research interest includes Keratin extraction, Development of Epoxy polymer composites, Electrospinning, 3D printing and valorisation of Agri waste materials etc. Rony has also presented papers in national and International symposiums and conferences and has also published research papers in reputed journals.

Jobin Joy is a Research Assistant at Department of Mechanical Engineering, Muthoot Institute of Technology and Science,Kochi. He holds an MTech in Machine Design from Mahatma Gandhi University and a BTech in Mechanical Engineering from Kerala University and currently doing his PhD from Gdansk University of Technology, Poland. His doctoral thesis is in the area of radiation shielding elastomeric composites. Before joining for PhD he was working as an Assistant Professor at Mechanical Engineering Department, Mar Baselios Institute of Technology and Science under APJ Abdul Kalam Technological University, Kerala. His research interest includes materials engineering, polymer composites, Nano cellulose-based hybrid composites, and Finite element analysis.

Dr Hanna J Maria is a UGC STRIDE Fellow and senior researcher at School of Energy Materials ,Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottyam,Kerala,India. She finished her Ph.D in the year 2015 from Mahatma Gandhi University.Soon after her Ph.D she did a post doctoral work at Centre for advanced materials Qatar University,Doha-Qatar . She was also a postdoctoral fellow in Dept. of Mechanical Engineering, Yamaguchi University,Tokiwadai, Japan in a project with TOCLAS corporation, Japan.She got the Dr.D. S. Kothari Postdoctoral Fellowship (DSKPDF) with Prof Sabu Thomas, Professor Mahatma Gandhi University.

She has 25 publications, 15 book chapters and 8 co-edited books edited to her credit.Her H index is 18 . Earlier she had obtained her M.Sc degree inAnalytical chemistry and had completed her M.Phil in environmental chemistry. She has experience in working with natural rubber composites, their blends, thermoplastic composites, lignin, nanocellulose,bionanocomposites, nanocellulose ,rubber based composites and nanocomposites and hybrid nanocomposites. She also worked as a CNRS,post doctoral fellow at Centre RAPSODEE ,(UMR CNRS 5302),IMT Mines Albi, France IMT,Mines in. 2018 for a period of 6 months and in Siberian Federal University in 2019.

Prof. Jozef T. Haponiuk (ORCID ID 0000-0001-6377-7050), born in 1950, obtained 1980 his Ph.D. from Technische Hochschule Leuna-Merseburg, Germany, where he studied (MSc and Ph.D.) for several years. Since 1974 he has been employed at the Faculty of Chemistry of Gdansk University of Technology (GUT), and from 2006 to 2020, he was the Head of the Polymer Technology Department.

His special scientific interests include:

• polymer chemistry and engineering;
• rubber processing and recycling;
• polymer blends, composites, and nanocomposites;
• new polyurethanes;
• biopolymers;
• biodegradable / compostable polymers.

Professor Józef T. Haponiuk is a highly-regarded academic teacher as the supervisor in over a dozen completed doctoral programs, the author or co-author of numerous original scientific papers, patents, and patent applications.

Professor Sabu Thomas is currently Vice Chancellor of Mahatma Gandhi University, Kottayam, Kerala, India. Prof. Sabu Thomas is a highly committed teacher and a remarkably active researcher well-known nationally and internationally for his outstanding contributions in polymer science and nanotechnology. Prof. Thomas is an outstanding leader with sustained international acclaims for his work in Nanoscience, Polymer Science and Engineering, Polymer Nanocomposites, Elastomers, Polymer Blends, Interpenetrating Polymer Networks, Polymer Membranes, Green Composites and Nanocomposites, Nanomedicine and Green Nanotechnology. In collaboration with India’s premier tyre company, Apollo Tyres, Professor Thomas’s group invented new high performance barrier rubber nanocomposite membranes for inner tubes and inner liners for tyres. He has published over 1200 research articles in international refereed journals. and has also edited and written 150 books with an H-index of 116 and total citation of more than 64,000. He has received a large number of international and national awards and recognitions. Under the leadership of Prof. Thomas, Mahatma Gandhi University has been transformed into a top University in the country where excellent outcome based education is imparted to the students for their holistic development. Professor Thomas has received more than 30 national and international awards .