Amit Desai

Amit Desai was received the "Outstanding Student Paper Award" from The American Composites Manufacturing Association (ACMA) for his paper entitled "Hybrid Composite Phenolic Foams." 

Mr. Desai presented his work at the recent ACMA conference in Tampa from Oct 17-19, and was awarded a $500 cash prize. In his presentation, he described his research, in which hybrid composite foams were produced by reinforcing phenolic foams with a combination of glass and aramid fibers. The resulting composite foams exhibit superior mechanical properties compared to commercial foams of comparable density, such as polyurethanes. The hybrid foams exhibit superior fire, smoke and toxicity properties (FST), as well as good insulation properties. These foams have potential applications as a structural material for building applications.