ICNF 2025 - 7th International Conference on Natural Fibers
Carlo Santulli
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EXPANDING THE RANGE OF NATURAL FIBERS USED FOR COMPOSITES: WHICH ARE THE COMMON FACTORS FOR A FUNCTIONAL SELECTION?Associate Professor in Materials Science and Technology Università degli Studi di Camerino, ITALY |
Biography
Carlo Santulli (Naples, 1963) is a distinguished scholar with over 30 years of experience in materials science, sustainability, and waste management. He holds a Laurea (MEng) in Chemical Engineering from Roma-La Sapienza (1991), a PhD in Materials Science and Technology from the University of Liverpool (2000), an MSc in Environmental Decision Making from the Open University (2004), and an MA in Arts from Roma-La Sapienza (2001). Since 2012, he has been an Associate Professor at the University of Camerino, currently qualified as a Full Professor.
Dr. Santulli is a recognized expert in composite materials, natural fibers, sustainable materials, upcycling, biomimetics, and environmental sustainability. His research addresses key areas such as innovative uses of natural fibers, waste management solutions, and eco-friendly material development, aligning with global sustainability goals. He has contributed extensively to academia, with 260 peer-reviewed journal articles, 44 book chapters, and 100 conference papers, achieving a Google Scholar H-index of 50 and an i10-index of 173.
Dr. Santulli’s academic journey includes roles at prestigious institutions such as the University of Rome - La Sapienza (1988-1993, 2006-2010), JRC Ispra (1994-1998), University of Nottingham (1999-2001), University of Reading (2001-2006), and Second University of Naples (2010-2012). He has served as a visiting researcher and professor at global universities, including KU Leuven, Ecole des Mines de Saint Etienne, Université de Rouen, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, and Bangalore University, among others.
An experienced academic mentor, he has supervised 162 PhD, MSc, BSc, and BA theses and has acted as an external examiner for PhD candidates across Italy, France, and India. As a referee for over 80 scientific journals, his work is highly regarded in the global research community.
Beyond academia, Dr. Santulli is a passionate advocate for environmental education and has authored three books in Italian on sustainability and waste management. He actively engages with schools and communities to promote eco-conscious practices and sustainable development.
Abstract
Over the years, a large number of natural fibers have been proposed for use in composites: to the traditional ones, which offered textile products particularly suitable as reinforcements, such as jute, flax, hemp, sisal, etc., many others have been added, with a variable degree of success. The range of fibers is expanding, especially in view of the consideration that the fabrication of natural fiber composites would especially raise the profile of application of fibrous by-products into valuable items so it might be a challenge to be taken. The selection depends on local availability, and more recently on the possibility of extracting them from agrifood waste, which would contribute to these not reducing the available resources. To assess the results of introducing a novel reinforcement into the context of natural fiber composites, mechanical (typically tensile, flexural, and impact), chemical, and thermal characterization are needed, possibly in comparison with more conventionally used fibers. This presentation aims at clarifying, drawing from the works to which Università di Camerino contributed during the last decade, which are the advantages and risks in delving into research on a different fiber with various polymer matrices. In particular, the various factors that are involved in this operation are considered, some of which involve the extraction and the morphological aspects of the fibers, their treatment, and the combined presence of other fillers.