The Chemistry That Could Transform Thermoset Composites

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.