Michael A. Meador, Ph.D.
Dr. Meador earned a B.A.
in Chemistry from
Ithaca College in 1978 and the Ph.D. in Physical Organic Chemistry from
Michigan
State University in 1983. He joined the NASA Lewis Research Center in 1983 as a
chemist in the Lubricants Research Section, has been in the Polymers Branch
since 1984, and was appointed Branch Chief in 1988.
Dr. Meador is on the Editorial Advisory Boards for High Performance Polymers and Polymer, and is a Graduate Faculty Member in the Department of Polymer Science at the University of Akron. His research interests are in the area of polymer synthesis, mechanistic studies of polymer degradation, polymer photochemistry, electronic and photonic materials and the application of biotechnology and nanotechnology in the development of new material systems. He is a member of the Society of Advanced Materials and Process Engineering and the Organic and Polymer Chemistry Divisions of the American Chemical Society. He received the NASA Medal for Equal Opportunity in 2002.
Application of Nanotechnology in the Development of Advanced Materials for Aerospace Power and Propulsion
The advent of nanotechnology holds the promise of developing new materials with processability, properties and performance far exceeding that of conventional materials. Use of these revolutionary materials in aerospace power and propulsion systems could result in significant improvements in component durability, safety and performance, as well as reduced weight. Research at the NASA Glenn Research Center is focused on exploiting new developments in nanotechnology to produce these advanced materials. Carbon nanotube reinforced polymers are being developed that have potentially higher mechanical strength and electrical and thermal conductivity than conventional composites. New advances in the synthesis of silicon carbide and boron nitride nanotubes offer the possibility of developing nanotube reinforced metals and ceramics with higher temperature capabilities. Polymer/clay nanocomposites have been developed with significantly better high temperature stability and mechanical properties than conventional composite materials. Recent advances in aerogel chemistry offer the potential to create new, durable, lightweight materials. New developments in molecular self-assembly can lead to new materials with unique electrical and optical properties as well as multifunctional capability. This presentation will highlight research directions and recent progress in each of these areas.