Sinan Müftü
COE Distinguished Professor,
Mechanical and Industrial Engineering
Affiliated Faculty,
Civil and Environmental Engineering
Contact
- s.muftu@northeastern.edu
- 334 Snell Engineering Center
360 Huntington Avenue
Boston, Massachusetts 02115
Social Media
Office
- 247 SN
- 617.373.4743
Lab
- 244H FR
- 617.373.8960
Research Focus
Cold-spray additive manufacturing; high-velocity impact of micron-scale particles; mechanics and tribology of axially moving materials; numerical simulation of tissue healing and bone remodeling; helmet and brain mechanics.
About
Dr. Müftü is a College of Engineering Distinguished Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering at Northeastern University. He joined Northeastern in September 2000. He earned his B.Sc. and M.Sc. degrees from the Middle East Technical University in 1987 and 1989, respectively, and a PhD degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Rochester in 1994. He received a Doctor of Mechanical Engineering, honoris causa, from “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University in Iaşi in 2024. Prior to joining Northeastern, he was a research scientist at the Haystack Radioastronomy Observatory of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. He held visiting appointments in the Civil and Environmental Engineering Department at MIT, the Sabanci University Department of Civil Engineering, and the Engineering Science Department at Oxford University. His research is in the general area of applied mechanics with applications in tribology and bioengineering, including mechanics of axially translating materials for roll-2-roll systems, mechanics of high velocity particle impacts for Cold Spray additive manufacturing and structure-function relationships in biological systems. Dr. Müftü was elected a fellow of the ASME in 2007 for his contributions to the mechanics of axially translating media. He is the author of the textbook Finite Element Method: Physics and Solution Methods.
Education
- Honorary Ph.D. (2024), Mechanical Engineering, Technical University of Iași (TUIasi)
- Ph.D. (1994), Mechanical Engineering, University of Rochester
- M.Sc. (1989), Mechanical Engineering, Middle East Technical University
- B.Sc. (1987), Mechanical Engineering, Middle East Technical University
Honors & Awards
- Ph.D. honoris causa, “Gheorghe Asachi” Technical University in Iași, 2024
- College of Engineering Distinguished Professor, 2023
- Faculty Research Team Award, 2022
- Soren Buus Outstanding Research Award, College of Engineering, NEU, 2013
- Fellow, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, 2007
- Pi Tau Sigma, Outstanding Faculty Member, ME Department, NEU, 2007
- Martin W. Essigman Outstanding Teaching Award, College of Engineering, NEU, 2003
- Best Paper Award, ASME, Information Storage & Processing Systems Division
Teaching Interests
- Mechanics of Materials
- Mechanics of Plates and Shells
- Mechanics in Tribology
- Finite Element Method
Leadership Positions
Associate Dean of Faculty Affairs, College of Engineering, Northeastern University, 2019-2022.
Professional Affiliations
- American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME)
- The Minerals, Metals & Materials Society (TMS)
- Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers (STLE)
Research Overview
Cold-spray additive manufacturing; high-velocity impact of micron-scale particles; mechanics and tribology of axially moving materials; numerical simulation of tissue healing and bone remodeling; helmet and brain mechanics.
Cold Spray Research Group
The Cold Spray Research Group aims to advance state-of-the-art cold spray technology through experimental and theoretical approaches by engaging with Northeastern faculty and graduate students and through critical partnerships with government and industry sponsors. This work involves CS machine technology, computational fluid dynamics, solid mechanics, material science, in situ monitoring and sensor integration, novel composite materials, and robot path planning for additive manufacturing. The CSRG has operations in the Boston, Burlington, and Maine campuses of the university.
Selected Research Projects
- Wire-arc direct energy deposition (WA-DED) for large-format metal additive manufacturing
- – co-Principal Investigator, ARL
- Innovative initiatives in cybersecurity and enhancement of mechanical robustness in parts and coatings produced through Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing
- – Principal Investigator, ARL
- Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing
- – Principal Investigator, NIST
- Additive Manufacturing and Advanced Materials Processing
Technical Point of Contact, Army Research Laboratory - Advancing Additive Repair Technologies and Cold Spray for Sustainment of Maritime Assets
Technical Point of Contact, NAVSEA - Collaborative Research: High-Strain-Rate Dynamics of Copolymer Microparticles for Advanced Additive Manufacturing
Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation - Collaborative Research: Mechanics of Fusion of Dissimilar Lipid Bilayers and Multi-Lamellar Vesicles
Co-Principal Investigator, National Science Foundation - Engineered Materials and Materials Design of Engineered Materials (EMMDEM)
Technical Point of Contact, Army Research Laboratory
Research Centers and Institutes
Department Research Areas
Selected Publications
- T. Jennings, R. Amini, S. Müftü, “Population variations in helmet fit affect calculated head injury risk,” ASME Journal of Biomechanical Engineering, Vol. 148, No.3, March 2026, 031004. https://doi.org/10.1115/1.4070649
- N. Rajpopat, A. Nourian, T. Jennings, A. Sevinsky, S. Boese, S. Müftü, “Effects of Spray Conditions and Heat Treatments on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Al6061 Deposits Cold-Sprayed Using N2 Gas,” accepted for publication Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, January 2026
- A. Nourian, O. Kovarik, J. Cizek, S. Zhue, T. Ando, S. Müftü, “Effect of thermo-mechanical treatment on the static and cyclic performance of cold sprayed 6061 aluminum alloy,” International Journal of Fatigue, Vol. 201, 109197, 2025,
- S. Batwa, A. Nourian, D. Brennan, S. Boese, A. Sevinsky, Z. McClelland,
S. Müftü, “Mechanical Properties and Microstructure of Annealed Ni/CrC-NiCr Metal Matrix Composite Prepared by Cold Sprayed Deposition,” Material Science and Engineering A, Vol. 940, September 2025, 148525, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msea.2025.148525
- S. E. Julien, N. Hanson, J. Lynch, K. Roberts, T. Padir, O. C. Ozdemir, S. Müftü, “Skewed Track Shape in Cold Spray Deposits Due to Applicator Fouling,” Journal of Thermal Spray Technology, Vol. 33, pp. 2189–2208, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1007/s11666-024-01826-z
- S. Boese, A. Sevinsky, A. Nourian-Avval, O. Özdemir, S. Müftü, “Laser-Assisted Cold Spray of Aluminum Alloy 6061: Experimental Results,” Additive Manufacturing, Vol. 95, 104548, 2024, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.addma.2024.104548
Jan 16, 2026
Mrudul Satbhai on Finding your Academic Niche
Mrudul Satbhai, MS ’25, advanced and intelligent engineering, completed his bachelors in India and came to Northeastern to pursue his interests in smart manufacturing. Among impressive research, co-ops, clubs, and a community of mentors and peers, Satbhai possesses a variety of successful projects and valuable skills that have set him up for success in the work force.
Jun 10, 2025
PhD Spotlight: Turner Jennings, PhD’25, Mechanical Engineering
Turner Jennings, PhD’25, mechanical engineering, authored a dissertation on improving helmet impact response that focused on using granular materials instead of polymeric foams to absorb impact energy. Following graduation, Jennings joined Northeastern as a postdoctoral research associate.
May 07, 2024
Müftü Receives Honorary Doctorate From the Technical University of Iași
Sinan Müftü, COE Distinguished Professor, MIE, was awarded an honorary doctorate in mechanical engineering from the Technical University of Iași (TUIasi) in Romania. Müftü has collaborated with this university since […]
Mar 18, 2024
$4.8M ARL Award for Advancing Wire-Arc Direct Energy Deposition for Large-Format Metal Additive Manufacturing
Sinan Müftü, MIE Distinguished Professor, and Ozan Özdemir, MIE assistant professor, are leading a team that was awarded a $4.38 million grant from the Army Research Laboratory to advance wire-arc direct energy deposition for large-format metal additive manufacturing.
Nov 13, 2023
$1.5M ARL Grant To Improve Cybersecurity and Robustness in Additive Manufacturing
MIE Professor Sinan Müftü and Assistant Professor Ozan Özdemir were awarded a $1.5 million research grant by the Army Research Laboratories (ARL) to spearhead innovative initiatives in cybersecurity and enhancement of mechanical robustness in parts and coatings produced through Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing.
Jan 24, 2023
Faculty and Staff Awards 2023
Faculty and staff in the College of Engineering were recognized at the annual awards event in a variety of categories for their contributions during the 2022-2023 academic year.
Aug 10, 2022
Muftu Publishes Textbook on Finite Element Method: Physics and Solution Methods
MIE Professor Sinan Muftu published a new textbook titled “Finite Element Method: Physics and Solution Methods” in July 2022 which focuses on the solution of one- and two-dimensional linear elasticity and heat transfer problems.
Apr 15, 2022
Faculty and Staff Awards 2022
Congratulations to all the winners of the faculty and staff awards, and to everyone for their hard work and dedication during the 2021-2022 academic school year.
Oct 01, 2021
PhD Spotlight: Qiyong Chen, PhD’ 20 – Mechanical Engineering
Advised by Sinan Müftü, Professor of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Qiyong Chen, PhD’20, mechanical engineering, joined the Applied (Bio) Mechanics and Tribology Laboratory, advised by Professor Sinan Muftu, while pursuing […]
Jan 07, 2021
NIST Award to Support Metal-Based Additive Manufacturing
National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) awarded $999,464 to the Cold Spray Research Group in the Department of Mechanical and Industrial Engineering to improve sensing approaches and create a […]