Composites Weekly

On this episode, Kyle Jordan joins the show to share some updates on the ACMA's Certified Composites Technician programs. Kyle is Director of Certifications with the ACMA. He'll be discussing some of the new digital training options launched over the last couple of months, including those for CCT recertification.

You can learn more about these CCT training programs by visiting https://acmanet.org/education/certified-composites-technician-program.

On this episode, Anna Brady-Estevez, PhD, joins the show. She is the founding partner of American Deep Tech, a technology investment firm that focuses on aerospace & space tech, energy, AI, biotech and more. Anna has served as a Program Director at the U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF), where she led the Small Business Innovation Research portfolio focused on Space Tech, Energy, Chemical, and Environmental technologies.

During her tenure, Anna invested and managed over $250M in grants to early-stage, high-impact startups.

On this episode, David J. Neivandt and Greg Simms join the show to discuss their research work developing a sustainable, biodegradable composite material derived from waste lobster shells and a natural binder, engineered for high mechanical performance.

Collaborating with the Advanced Structures and Composites Center at UMaine, their team has established a pilot-scale production line for this material, which features compressive strength greater than concrete and flexural strength surpassing eastern white pine lumber. From a sustainability perspective, the composite has the potential to replace single-use plastics in applications where the item needs to maintain structural integrity for a short period and then biodegrade rapidly at the end of life. Team NRG's recent work is moving them towards the ultimate goal of using the composite to construct temporary disaster shelters.

On this epiosde, Ollie Taylor and Alessandro Stagni join the podcast to discuss the MarineShift360, Impact Accelerator program. It's a year-long initiative equipping marine organizations with lifecycle assessment expertise, and access to an industry-wide sustainability network. Ollie is the Founder of Marine Futures and the program director of Marine Shift 360. Alessandro is the Chief Technology Officer at nlcomp (Northern Light Composites). Three companies were selected for the 2026 MarineShift360 Impact Accelerator, covering the full vessel lifecycle from materials to propulsion to end-of-life. One of those companies is nlcomp, an Italian deep-tech startup developing recyclable thermoplastic composite materials designed to solve one of the biggest challenges in advanced materials: end-of-life waste.

On this episode, we'll explore what it really takes to build a sustainable marine industry, and where the biggest opportunities exist.

On this episode, Professor Hatsuo Ishida, PhD of Case Western Reserve University, joins the show to discuss the development of next-generation composite materials engineered for deep-space travel. He shares the origin of their work with ultra-high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMWPE) with hydrogen-rich polybenzoxazine resins, and how these materials have been engineered into composites that integrate structural performance with radiation attenuation.

We also unpack the results from exposure on the International Space Station (ISS), where these composites were subjected to the harsh conditions of low Earth orbit for several months. Dr. Ishida explains how surface-level oxidation occurred without compromising bulk mechanical properties such as strength, density, and glass transition temperature.

The discussion highlights what these findings mean for long-duration missions and the future of spacecraft design, where materials may serve both as structure and protection. Looking ahead, we examine the remaining challenges in scaling these materials for deeper space environments and what it will take to validate them for missions beyond Earth orbit. You can read about their research at https://www.scribd.com/document/952673614/s42114-025-01451-6

On this episode, researchers Caitlin Howell and Mehdi Tajvidi from the University of Maine join the show to discuss their research in developing a fully bio-derived composite coating that is grown, not manufactured. By combining edible fungal mycelium with cellulose nanofibrils, they have developed a barrier coating that can be formed directly on paper and textiles through a low-energy process.

The result is a highly water-resistant surface with contact angles approaching 140° and significantly reduced water absorption, pointing to a viable path toward replacing traditional plastic-based barrier coatings. We'll discuss how the material works at a structural level, what it takes to scale a growth-based process, and where this material could be used first. You can learn more about their research at https://umaine.edu/news/2026/02/researchers-use-fungus-to-create-plastic-free-food-packaging/

On this episode, Teong Tan, Arclin's Chief Research Officer joins the podcast to discuss Arclin's $1.8 billion acquisition of DuPont's aramid business, adding the iconic Kevlar® and Nomex® brands to its portfolio. Teong leads the company's innovation agenda with a focus on strategic growth, talent development, and high-performing teams.

On this episode, John Kehoe of Boaz Partners joins the show. Boaz isn't your typical recruiting firm—they operate as strategic partners, using a proven, deeply embedded process to understand business goals, culture, and long-term objectives before ever presenting a candidate. It's a fundamentally different approach to hiring—one that's built around precision, alignment, and impact.

In this conversation, we unpack what separates great hiring organizations from the rest, why so many companies struggle to attract and retain top talent, and how a more disciplined, strategic recruiting process can become a true competitive advantage—especially in niche industries like composites.

You can learn more about their company and access their latest ebook, called The Talent Formula, by visiting https://boazpartners.com/advancedmaterials.

On this episode Aaron Fitzgerald, CEO of Mars Materials, joins the show. Carbon fiber has long been a cornerstone of aerospace and defense—but the reality is, the supply chain behind it is anything but secure.

Today, much of the world's high-performance carbon fiber depends on globally concentrated precursor production, leaving critical industries exposed at a time when resilience matters more than ever. But what if you could rethink carbon fiber from the ground up—making it not only domestically sourced, but actually carbon-negative… and still capable of meeting the demands of fighter-jet-grade applications?

That's exactly what Mars Materials is setting out to do with their breakthrough product, Hoigen-C. By leveraging what they call an "impurity-advantaged" approach, they're challenging long-held assumptions about how carbon fiber precursors are made—while building a pathway toward localized, scalable, and strategically resilient supply chains. Recent validation work with researchers at North Carolina State University has put Hoigen-C through the kind of rigorous testing required for some of the most demanding composite applications.

So today, we're going to unpack what this really means—for performance, for sustainability, and for the future of industrial resilience.

On this episode, Krishnan Veluswamy, Ph.D., joins the podcast to discuss the upcoming Demo Day at Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility (FCMF). Krishnan is an Assistant Professor, Mechanical, Aerospace & Biomedical Engineering Department and Affiliated with Fibers and Composites Manufacturing Facility, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN. This upcoming event on Wednesday, March 25th, will provide an opportunity to see the facility in operation through live machinery demonstrations and cutting-edge manufacturing technologies led by the facility's undergraduate and graduate student researchers and staff.