Seeking partners: green extraction & activated carbon for cosmetics

Yıldız Technical University (YTU), founded in 1911, is one of Türkiye’s leading and well-established technical universities, with a strong tradition of education, research, and innovation. The University comprises 10 faculties, 3 graduate schools, and numerous research and application centers, bringing together a large and diverse academic community. YTU conducts research across a broad range of disciplines, ranging from engineering to education sciences, administrative sciences, and other fields. With its strong research infrastructure, qualified academic staff, extensive international collaborations, and experience in national and international R&D projects, YTU actively contributes to the development of innovative and sustainable solutions to global challenges.

The project is an end-to-end value chain project that begins with the use of agricultural by-products containing phenolic compounds and essential oils as raw materials, and covers the extraction of phenolic compounds and essential oils, the conversion of the remaining biomass into activated carbon, and ultimately the use of these components in cosmetic formulations (antioxidant, antimicrobial, skin-compatible products). The project is planned to be carried out over a 24-month timeline.

Seeking partners in;

WP4: Activated carbon from residual biomass

Looking for a partner to lead/support the conversion of residual biomass into activated carbon via pyrolysis/carbonisation, optimising porosity, surface area and adsorption capacity for cosmetic-grade applications. Ideal partner: a research group or company with expertise in carbonisation/activation processes and material characterisation (BET, adsorption).

WP5: Cosmetic formulation development & safety/efficacy testing

Looking for a partner to develop prototype cosmetic formulations (serum, mask, cleanser) incorporating phenolic extracts, essential oils and activated carbon, and to run in-vitro antioxidant, antimicrobial and skin-compatibility testing. Ideal partner: a cosmetic-formulation lab or company with in-vitro efficacy/safety testing capability.

WP6: Scale-up, techno-economic assessment & commercialisation

Looking for a partner to generate pilot-scale production data, run techno-economic assessment (TEA) and cost/feasibility analysis, and help shape the business plan and commercialisation roadmap. Ideal partner: an organisation experienced in process scale-up and TEA for bio-based products.

WP7: Dissemination, standardisation & IP management

Looking for a partner to support standardisation of project outputs, potential patent activity and IP strategy, plus dissemination through scientific publications and events. Ideal partner: an organisation with IP/standardisation experience in bio-based or cosmetic products.

Cross-cutting expertise (LCA / DoE / AI-assisted formulation)

Looking for partners to contribute across the project in: Life Cycle Analysis (environmental impact, carbon footprint), Design of Experiments (statistical optimisation of pyrolysis/activation and formulation variables), and AI/machine-learning-based formulation optimisation and structure–performance modelling. Ideal partner: a research group or company in any of these methodological areas.