Prof. Dr. Egemen Avcu is a materials scientist working in mechanism-driven materials science, surface engineering, and micromechanics of materials, with recent research focusing on HRDIC-based in-situ micromechanics and correlative microscopy to understand deformation and damage mechanisms in advanced alloys and metal matrix composites. He is a Professor at Kocaeli University (Türkiye), where he has contributed to founding and institutional development activities, including the establishment of the Surface Engineering Laboratory, and is currently a Visiting Scholar at Chemnitz University of Technology (Germany), where he contributes to DFG- and CORNET-related collaborative projects on severe plastic deformation, metal matrix composites, and advanced materials characterisation.
He previously worked as a Postdoctoral Research Associate at the University of Manchester (UK) and held visiting research appointments at Imperial College London (UK) and Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen–Nürnberg (Germany). At Manchester, he contributed to research within the Henry Royce Institute ecosystem through projects supported by BP, Rolls-Royce, EPSRC, and Beijing Institute of Aeronautical Materials (BIAM). He also contributed to the establishment of the Tribology Laboratory at the Henry Royce Institute, taught Deformation Mechanisms in the undergraduate Materials Engineering programme, and participated in research activities associated with Diamond Light Source. Earlier in his career, he worked as an Internal Research Scholar at TÜBİTAK Marmara Research Center.
He has authored 75+ SCI-indexed publications, received 3000+ citations, supervised over 40 graduate students at national and international levels and taken active roles in numerous TÜBİTAK, EU-funded, CORNET, and industry-supported projects. His contributions have been recognised with several distinctions, including the Turkish Academy of Sciences Outstanding Young Scientist Award (TÜBA-GEBİP).
Research Interests
- High‑resolution digital image correlation (HRDIC) and in‑situ micromechanics
- Severe plastic deformation and hierarchical microstructures
- Surface engineering and mechanical surface treatments
- Deformation mechanisms in advanced alloys and composites
- Correlative microscopy (SEM, EBSD, TEM, XCT)
- Microstructure–mechanical property relationships
Selected Publications
- Avcu, E.; Cao, H.; Zhang, X.; Guo, Y.; Withers, P.J.; Li, X.; Wang, N.; Yan, S.; Xiao, P. The effect of reduced graphene oxide content on the microstructural and mechanical properties of copper metal matrix composites. Materials Science & Engineering A 856 (2022) 143921. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2022.143921.
- Zhao, Y.; Avcu, E.; Cao, Y.; Liu, S.; Ma, G.; Chen, X.; Guo, Y. Exploring the correlation between strain localization and carbide fracture using high-resolution digital image correlation. Journal of Materials Science & Technology 246 (2026) 220–236. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jmst.2025.05.032
- Avcu, E.; Baştan, F.E.; Abdullah, H.Z.; Ur Rehman, M.A.; Yıldıran Avcu, Y.; Boccaccini, A.R. Electrophoretic deposition of chitosan-based composite coatings for biomedical applications: A review. Progress in Materials Science 103 (2019) 69–108. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pmatsci.2019.01.001
- Yavuzyegit, B.; Avcu, E.; Smith, A.D.; Donoghue, J.M.; Lunt, D.; Robson, J.D.; Burnett, T.L.; Quinta da Fonseca, J.; Withers, P.J. Mapping plastic deformation mechanisms in AZ31 magnesium alloy at the nanoscale. Acta Materialia 250 (2023) 118876. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actamat.2023.118876
- Lowe, T.; Avcu, E.; Bousser, E.; Sellers, W.; Withers, P.J. 3D Imaging of Indentation Damage in Bone. Materials 11 (2018) 2533. https://doi.org/10.3390/ma11122533.
- Avcu E, Guney M, Yıldıran Avcu Y, Sulak M, Uzuner H, İlçe Bahadır M, Abakay E, Armagan M, Yamanoglu R, Elibol C, Wagner MFX. “Comparative Effects of Fine and Conventional Shot Peening on Surface Morphology, Topography, Wettability, and Antibacterial Activity of Biomedical Ti6Al4V Alloy”, Coatings, 15, 1071, 2025. https://doi.org/10.3390/coatings15091071.
- Avcu E, Bastan FE, Guney M, Yildiran Avcu Y, Ur Rehman MA, Boccaccin AR. “Biodegradable polymer matrix composites containing graphene-related materials for antibacterial applications: A critical review”, Acta Biomaterialia, 151, 1-44, 2022. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.actbio.2022.07.048.
- Avcu E, Avcu YY, Bastan FE, Ur Rehman MA, Ustel F, Boccaccini AR. “Tailoring the surface characteristics of electrophoretically deposited chitosan-based bioactive glass composite coatings on titanium implants via grit blasting”, Progress in Organic Coatings, 123, 362-373, 2018. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.porgcoat.2018.07.021.
- Avcu E. “The influences of ECAP on the dry sliding wear behaviour of AA7075 alloy”, Tribology International, 110, 173-184 , 2017. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.triboint.2017.02.023.
Full publication list → Google Scholar
Full publication list → SCOPUS
Full publication list → Web of Science
Selected Active Research Projects
- Germany-Türkiye collaborative programme (CORNET): “Hydroforming of novel additively manufactured semi-finished tubes with optimized property profiles”. 2025 – Present
- TÜBİTAK-linked projects: “A New Low-Alloy Titanium System: Production and Characterisation of the Ti-1Fe-0.5Si-1Nb Alloy by Hot Pressing under Vacuum” and “Design and Production of Powder Metallurgy–Based Functionally Graded Graphite-Reinforced Titanium Matrix Composites: Improving Surface and Subsurface Properties”. 2025 – Present
- Kocaeli University-linked projects: Mechanism-driven work on microstructure–mechanical property relationships, innovative alloys/MMCs, surface & subsurface integrity, corrosion–wear performance, and processing–structure–property optimisation, supported by advanced characterisation and micromechanics workflows. 2023–present.
- Industrial-linked projects: Mechanical surface treatment–based projects on titanium alloys, focusing on the effects of shot peening, laser peening, and related processes on mechanical behaviour (including micromechanical response and residual stress evolution) and microstructural characteristics for aerospace-orientated applications. 2025–present.
- TÜBA Outstanding Young Scientist award-linked research support (3-year financial research support): mechanism-driven, correlative characterisation for microstructure-mechanical-tribological performance. 2025-present.
Supervision
PhD Students:
- • Student name – research topic
MSc Students:
- • Student name – research topic
Alumni:
- • Former student – current position
Selected Awards & Recognition
- Outstanding Young Scientist Award (TÜBA-GEBİP) (Materials Design and Behaviour), Turkish Academy of Sciences. 2025 – present.
- Young Scientist Academy Member, Turkish Academy of Sciences. 2025 – present (elected following the TÜBA-GEBİP award).
- Young Scientist Academy Membership, Turkish Academy of Sciences. 2025 – present.
- Research & Sabbatical Scholarship Award, Kocaeli University (Office of Rectorate)
- International Scientific Publication Award (UBYT), TÜBİTAK ULAKBİM — 25 awards (2011–2026): Competitive, publication-based recognition tied to journal quality and authorship contribution. 2011 – Present.
Contact
Department of Machine and Metal Technologies, Ford Otosan İhsaniye Vocational School of Automotive, Kocaeli University, 41680 Golcuk-Kocaeli, Turkey
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Natural and Applied Sciences, Kocaeli University, 41001 Izmit-Kocaeli / Turkey
Faculty of Mechanical Engineering, Institute of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Technology Chemnitz, Erfenschlager Straße 73 Raum E01.008 (alt: 3/A008), 09125 Chemnitz