The Chemistry That Could Transform Thermoset Composites – Interview with Yasmeen S. Alfaraj, PhD
Aug 06, 2026
On this episode, Dr. Yasmeen S. Alfaraj discusses the next generation of thermoset composites. She is the founder and CEO of NextSet Materials, a company developing a new generation of reprocessable thermoset materials.
Yasmeen earned her bachelor’s degree in chemistry from the University of California, Berkeley, before completing her Ph.D. in chemistry at MIT, specializing in polymers and soft matter. She is also an Activate and Department of Energy Cyclotron Road Fellow and was named to the 2026 Forbes 30 Under 30 list in the Manufacturing and Industry category.
Through NextSet Materials, Yasmeen is addressing one of the composites industry’s most persistent challenges: how to recover valuable fibers and other materials from durable thermoset structures that were never designed to be taken apart. The company’s technology incorporates cleavable additives into existing resin formulations, creating a controlled pathway for deconstructing the cured polymer and recovering materials for reuse—without requiring manufacturers to completely replace their established processes.
We’ll be discussing the chemistry behind this technology, its potential applications in aerospace, wind energy, automotive manufacturing and electronics, and what it could mean for the future of truly circular composite materials. You can learn more about the company at https://nextset.net.
From Stealth Aircraft to Space Transportation: The Evolution of Aerospace Composites
Jul 30, 2026
On this episode, Martin McLaughlin joins the show to discuss his 39-year career at Northrop Grumman during the development of the B-2 bomber, the F-20 and F/A-18 fighters, and the YF-23 fighter. Martin also managed the DARPA experimental spaceplane XS-1 program and numerous internal Northrop Grumman studies for air-launched to orbit rocketplanes.
The Hidden Science Behind Surface Readiness: Interview with Lucas Dillingham
Jul 23, 2026
On this episode, Lucas Dillingham of Brighton Science joins the podcast to discuss the science behind surface readiness. Brighton Science helps manufacturers understand and control one of the most important, and often overlooked parts of composite production: the surface.
Lucas works at the intersection of surface science, manufacturing, and quality control, helping companies replace subjective tests and operator guesswork with measurable data that can improve bonding, coating, cleaning, and mold-release performance.
In our conversation, Lucas will explain how technologies such as water contact-angle measurement allow manufacturers to evaluate surface conditions at the molecular level. We’ll also discuss how surface intelligence can help reduce scrap, prevent adhesion and mold-release failures, and turn surface preparation from what has traditionally been considered an art into a repeatable and controlled science.
Orbital Racing: The Ultimate Proving Ground for Next-Generation Composites?
Jul 17, 2026
On this episode, Phillip Hover-Smoot, CEO of Atlas Cup, joins the show to discuss satellite racing. Atlas Cup introduces orbital sport by leveraging the heritage of classic racing competitions like America’s Cup and Formula One to delight sports fans and bring competitive sport firmly into the 21st century.
Why Every Composite Innovation Needs a Better Story: Interview with Yatine Boodhoo of Thermoforged
Jul 14, 2026
On this episode, Yatine Boodhoo, founder of ThermoForged, joins the podcast. As an engineer, Yatine has built his career around advanced composites, developing a deep, hands-on expertise in thermoplastic materials as they’ve gained momentum. Along the way, he discovered that the most groundbreaking technologies rarely fail due to lack of performance. They fail because people don’t understand them.
That realization led him to launch ThermoForged, a platform dedicated to telling the stories behind the innovations shaping the future of composites. Through technical storytelling and high-quality video, Yatine helps engineers, manufacturers, and technology leaders communicate complex ideas in ways that are engaging and compelling.
Today, his work sits at the intersection of engineering, storytelling, and public speaking, helping companies translate sophisticated technologies into messages that resonate with customers, investors, and industry leaders alike.
Most Replayed Episode: Revisiting the Titan Submersible Disaster – Design Flaws, Composite Failure, and Aerospace Certification
Jul 09, 2026
When the Titan submersible imploded during its descent to the wreck of the Titanic in June 2023, the tragedy captured the world’s attention. It raised difficult questions about engineering, innovation, and safety. Now, following the release of the Transportation Safety Board of Canada’s final investigation, we have a much clearer picture of what went wrong.
In light of these new findings, we’re revisiting one of our most insightful conversations on the topic with Martin McLaughlin, founder of McLaughlin Aerospace. Martin is a veteran aerospace engineer with more than 40 years of experience, including 22 years developing tactical aircraft and the B-2 bomber, and 17 years working on space transportation systems. Martin has extensive expertise in advanced composite structures and composite cryogenic propellant tanks, and has participated in accident investigations throughout his career.
In this episode, he explains how aerospace engineers validate high-risk composite structures, what warning signs OceanGate might have missed, and why rigorous engineering processes are essential when lives are on the line.
On this episode, Donald Paquet and Joe Stanish of L&L Products join the show to highlight T-Link®, a thermoplastic adhesive technology that combines the processing advantages of thermoplastics with superior adhesion.
T-Link® can be used to create lightweight, highly customizable composite structures that enhance performance through processability across a wide range of markets and potential applications. It’s available in a range of melt viscosities, enabling a tailor-made solution in multiple forms*, including pellets, films, yarns and monofilaments, and micropellets. T-Link® yarn and monofilaments can be co-woven or sewn into textile applications to form a dry thermoplastic composite with precise control of resin content.
Each year, industry leaders travel to Capitol Hill to meet directly with lawmakers and policymakers, ensuring the industry’s voice is heard on issues ranging from infrastructure and defense to manufacturing regulations and workforce development.
The AI Platform Transforming Product Development—From Lab to Launch
Jun 19, 2026
On this episode, Will Tashman, Co-Founder of Uncountable, joins the podcast. Their AI-powered platform helps industries capture, structure, and connect complex formulation and experimental data throughout the full product lifecycle.
Before launching Uncountable with his cofounders, Will was a product design engineer at Apple Inc. He’ll share how chemical and advanced materials companies are now using their software to centralize formulation data, design smarter experiments, and uncover insights hidden within years of research and testing.
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.
CF3D: The Next Generation of Composites for Mission-Critical Performance – Interview with Steve Starner of Continuous Composites
Jun 10, 2026
On this episode, Steve Starner, CEO of Continuous Composites, joins the show to discuss how their company is scaling its CF3D technology for aerospace, defense, hypersonics, UAVs, and other mission-critical applications. CF3D is a next-generation manufacturing technology that combines continuous fiber composites, automation, and software into a single digital manufacturing process.
Before joining Continuous Composites, Steve spent years working in advanced manufacturing and metal additive manufacturing, including leadership roles involving laser powder bed fusion technology at Velo3D. That experience gave him a firsthand look at how additive manufacturing technologies evolve from emerging concepts into production-ready tools for industry.
From Composite Space Armor™ to Orbital Data Centers: Interview with Trevor Smith, founder of Atomic-6
Jun 05, 2026
On this episode, Trevor Smith, founder and CEO of Atomic-6, joins the podcast. Atomic-6 is an advanced composite solutions manufacturer revolutionizing mobility in extreme environments. They’re creating everything from impact-resistant spacecraft shielding and deployable solar arrays to thermal management systems that help spacecraft survive in some of the harshest environments imaginable.
Atomic-6 also just launched ODC.space, the world’s first marketplace that allows customers to spec, price, and order orbital data center capacity without building their own satellite systems.
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