53: A Material Stronger Than Steel and As Light As Plastic (ft. Dr. Michael Strano)

<p>Polyaramid fibers offer excellent physical and chemical properties at high temperatures and are considered high-performance fibers. Episode 53 uncovers the polymerization process of a 2D material that many believed was impossible to develop. as strong as steel and as light as plastic! This unique material is as strong as steel yet as light as plastic.</p> <p>Check out our <a href='https://www.subscribepage.com/msecompanies'>MSE Company Database</a> and <a href='https://www.subscribepage.com/mseprofessionaldevelopmentguide'>free professional development guide</a> for materials scientists and engineers!</p> <p>In this episode, Dr. Michael Strano, a Chemical Engineering Professor at MIT, shares his experiences in developing a material and process that many thought was impossible. </p> <p> </p> <p>In this conversation, we discuss the following topics:</p> <p>🔹️  The discovery of this 2D material and what the polymerization process looks like in more detail</p> <p>🔹️ What Dr. Strano and his group did to separate them from other labs to achieve something that was previously thought to be impossible. </p> <p>🔹️ What potential application of this material excites Dr. Strano the most</p> <p>🔹️Advice for students and early-career professionals who want to push the boundaries of materials research and potentially achieve what many others couldn’t or deemed impossible.</p> <p> </p> <p>Learn more about our MSE Career Development <a href='https://www.mseacademy.com/courses/students-tier-2'>Online Course</a>, which includes more industry-specific information and advice. </p> <p>Also, check out our <a href='https://www.itsamaterialworldpodcast.com/shop'>MSE-themed merchandise</a> if you want to support us or simply show off your love of materials science!</p> <p>Join our <a href='https://discord.gg/49dCV3W4eN'>Discord community</a>! You can meet other passionate materials scientists and engineers from around the world, discuss the latest breakthroughs in MSE, share materials-related memes, and get career advice from experts i