Environmental Solutions - Composites Weekly

On this episode, Kerry McCormick, CEO of PolyC Plastics and Composites, and co-founder Dr. Greg Sotzing join the podcast. PolyC Plastics and Composites is a company dedicated to developing cleaner, safer polymer technologies to replace legacy materials that contain substances such as PFAS, BPA, phthalates, and VOCs. They were recently featured in an article by Forbes magazine titled, Tackling Plastic Pollution With A Hemp-Based Alternative.

Greg is a professor of chemistry and materials science at the University of Connecticut and a leading researcher in sustainable polymer technology. He is the author of a groundbreaking study exploring hemp-derived alternatives to conventional plastics, focusing on creating high-performance materials from renewable resources.

On this episode, we’ll discuss the future of sustainable polymers, hemp-derived materials, and what these innovations could mean for the composites industry. 

The post Hemp-Based Thermoplastics: The Future of Sustainable Polymers? first appeared on Composites Weekly.

On this episode, Bryan Hassin, CEO of DexMat, joins the show to discuss Galvorn – a next-generation conductive material designed for high-performance, weight-constrained applications across aerospace, defense, automotive, and data infrastructure.

Their latest funding marks a transition point for the company, from deep materials R&D into production scale and customer qualification. Bryan has spent his career working at the intersection of lab innovation and manufacturing reality.

You can learn more about Galvorn at https://dexmat.com/why-galvorn. 

The post Introducing Galvorn: The Lightest, Strongest and Most Flexible Conductive Fiber on the Planet first appeared on Composites Weekly.

On this episode, Roy Silvas, Business Development Director at Enduro Composites joins the podcast. We’ll discuss where composites fit in the rapidly expanding data-center ecosystem, what adoption barriers still exist, and how the next generation of facilities could benefit from smarter material choices.

Roy brings a wealth of experience from the infrastructure and industrial sectors, and he’s been on the front lines showing engineers, contractors, and owners how composites can solve big, persistent problems—from corrosion and conductivity issues to supply-chain delays and installation bottlenecks. You can also read Roy’s recent article at https://www.cablinginstall.com/data-center/article/55313169/integrating-composites-into-data-center-design. 

Enduro Composites, Inc. was founded in 2011 as a spinoff of Enduro Systems, Inc. As one of the largest suppliers of FRP products in the U.S., Enduro’s manufacturing capability is among the most diversified in the industry. With a history of innovation and industry firsts, their fiber-reinforced polymer solutions have earned worldwide respect and recognition.

The post Integrating Composites Into Tomorrow’s Data Centers – Interview with Roy Silvas first appeared on Composites Weekly.

On this episode, Cindy Squires joins me to highlight Composites Evolution taking place October 22-23 in Knoxville, TN. This event brings together leading manufacturers, suppliers, and technical experts to explore practical, profitable solutions to the EPA’s new styrene regulations.

This focused, forward-looking conference will show you how to turn compliance into a competitive advantage – boosting efficiency, improving processes, and unlocking new market opportunities.

You can learn more by visiting https://acmanet.org/event/composites-evolution. 

The post The Future of Open Molding and Filament Winding – Highlighting Composites Evolution 2025 first appeared on Composites Weekly.

On this episode, Vinit Chaudhary, founder of Elemental Composites, joins the podcast. Elemental Composites specializes in fabricating non-woven intermediates for composite industries. Their innovative process consists of two distinct stages:

(1) Unique Mixing: This process involves the deagglomeration of fiber bundles and the uniform mixing of various types of fibers. 

(2) Dry-laid Technique: The mixing stage material is utilized as feedstock material to transform into nonwoven preforms. 

Vinit earned his bachelor’s and master’s degrees in mechanical engineering from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. He brings five years of experience in designing and manufacturing advanced composites to his role, where he focuses on product development and expanding technology applications. 

The post Unlocking the Potential of Natural Fibers – Interview with Vinit Chaudhary of Elemental Composites first appeared on Composites Weekly.

This week, Anoosheh Oskouian, CEO of Ship and Shore Environmental, Inc. joins the podcast to talk about their work in helping major manufacturers in our industry meet VOC abatement challenges by providing customized energy-efficient air pollution abatement systems for various industries, resulting in improved operational efficiency and tailored “green” solutions.   

Ship and Shore Environmental is a Long Beach, Calif.-based company specializing in air pollution capture and control systems for industrial applications. 

You can learn more about them by visiting https://shipandshore.com. 

The post Celebrating 25 Years of Clean Air Innovation – Interview with Anoosheh Oskouian of Ship and Shore Environmental, Inc. first appeared on Composites Weekly.

On this episode, Phillip Taynton, CEO of Mallinda joins me on the show to discuss their new VHM resin system. This launch follows successful commercial-scale production validation. 

This innovation addresses critical industry challenges, including manufacturing efficiency, waste reduction, and environmental sustainability.

Their technology enables manufacturers to reprocess scrap material and rejected parts, significantly lowering the overall carbon footprint of their manufacturing processes while maintaining high-performance standards. 

Given the transformative nature of this technology, multiple Fortune Global 500 companies are already collaborating with Mallinda to commercialize VHM resins to their particular requirements.

You can learn more by visiting https://www.mallinda.com. 

The post Mallinda Launches Vitrimax VHM Resin to Revolutionize Composite Recycling first appeared on Composites Weekly.

On this episode, we welcome Dan Neumann of the ACMA back to the podcast for our final episode of 2024. We’ll be discussing the effect of the incoming administration’s policies on composite manufacturers in the US. 

Listeners who want to stay up to date with regulations and other policy concerns, and are not a member of the ACMA can join at https://acmanet.org.

The post How Will the Incoming US Administration Impact the Composites Industry? – Interview with Daniel Neumann first appeared on Composites Weekly.

On this episode, Tim Noonan, founder and CEO of Evertrak joins me on the show. Their company is making some of the strongest, most innovative railroad ties in the US. Their ties are made with Glass Fiber fiber-reinforced polymer (GFRP) from recycled plastic.

The railroad industry has a problem that runs 140,000 miles long. 20 million wood ties are replaced each year because of bugs, moisture, and wear. This represents 6 million trees.

Evertrak 7000 ties are engineered to perform reliably in track for 50 years in high-rot regions, reducing replacement costs, deforestation, and the use of dangerous creosote.

You can learn more about Evertrak by visiting https://evertrak.com.

The post Changing the Future of the Railroad Industry with Composites – Interview with Tim Noonan of Evertrak first appeared on Composites Weekly.

On this episode, Chris Oberste, Ph.D. joins the podcast to discuss their work in winning the 2024 Altair Future of Lightweighting Award. This achievement was possible through their partnership with Braskem and Clemson Composites Center.

Their patented WEAV3D® process is based on a woven composite lattice reinforcement called Rebar For Plastics®. Their lattice-forming machines produce custom lattice structures from unidirectional, fiber-reinforced composite tapes. 

You can learn more about their technology by visiting https://weav3d.com. 

The post New Thermoplastic Composite Wins “Future of Lightweighting Award” – Interview with Chris Oberste of WEAV3D first appeared on Composites Weekly.