About Us
Scalable Molecular Design for Extreme Environments
HAND was founded with a singular mandate: to engineer the materials that make next-generation technologies possible. Today’s critical emerging sectors—from hypersonic aircraft to advanced nuclear energy—are being fundamentally throttled by outdated, legacy polymer systems that simply cannot meet extreme performance demands.
To solve this, our team operates at the critical intersection of synthetic organic chemistry and industrial manufacturing. We combine deep, specialized expertise in advanced polymer engineering with a rigorous focus on formulating for real-world composite fabrication. We don’t just design next-generation molecules; we engineer them to process seamlessly on existing factory floors.
By replacing obsolete chemistry with scalable, economically viable domestic supply chains, our team is directly answering the U.S. aerospace sector’s demand for faster, more resilient materials production. We are here to accelerate the industry. We are here to fill the void.
Our Team
Dr. Gustavo Munoz
William Johnson
Don Johnson
What Sets Us Apart
- Proprietary IP: Advanced polymer expertise anchored by decades of research and a robust, deeply defended patent portfolio.
- Manufacturability: Next-generation chemistry engineered for seamless factory-floor reality rather than lab-scale theory.
- Customization: Precision-tailored, drop-in formulations designed to match your exact composite fabrication architecture.
- Throughput: Unprecedented >80% char yields that slash your component manufacturing timelines by up to 50%.
- Co-Engineering: Strategic partnerships that scale seamlessly from benchtop coupon testing to secure, full-scale pilot fabrication.
Our Capabilities
Collaborative R&D & Co-Engineering
We do not develop materials in a vacuum. With over 30 active engagements spanning the aerospace, defense, and advanced composite sectors, our materials chemists and product stewards work directly alongside our clients’ engineering teams. From initial bench-testing to pilot-scale composite fabrication, we co-engineer solutions to validate the >80% char yield of our BODA resins and prove their drop-in scalability for your specific production lines.
Dedicated Synthesis & Formulation Facilities
Anchoring our technical operations is our 2,000+ sq. ft. dedicated laboratory space. This facility is in Starkville, MS and is custom-built for advanced polymer engineering and serves as the staging ground for our commercial scale-up.
Our internal capabilities include:
• Custom Synthesis: Rapid batch production of our proprietary BODA precursors.
• Process Formulation: Precision tuning of resin viscosity and tack to match specific customer fabrication methods, including RTM, prepregging, and vacuum-assisted infusion.
• Characterization & Quality Control: Rigorous thermal and rheological profiling to guarantee consistent, high-yield performance before any material reaches a client’s furnace.
• Advanced Analytical Suite: Comprehensive molecular and thermal characterization utilizing FTIR, GCMS, H-NMR, C-NMR, TGA, DSC, Pyro-GCMS, XRD, and Raman spectroscopy.
Composite Fabrication & High-Temperature Processing
To seamlessly transition our resins from the laboratory to the factory floor, HAND operates a secure, strategic sattelite facility at the Miller Advanced Research Solutions (MARS) center in Ogden, Utah. This premier fabrication hub allows us to move beyond standard resin supply and directly demonstrate pilot scale composite manufacturing within a protected, U.S.-based footprint.
• Full-Scale Composite Fabrication: We actively demonstrate the “drop-in” processability of our BODA resins using industry-standard equipment. Our MARS operations are fully equipped to handle custom prepregging, Resin Transfer Molding (RTM), melt infusion, and vacuum-assisted composite fabrication on complex aerospace geometries.
• Extreme-Environment Pyrolysis: The MARS facility provides us with direct access to elite, high-temperature processing capabilities. We can physically replicate the extreme thermal cycles required for Carbon-Carbon (C/C) and Ceramic Matrix Composites (CMCs), allowing us to validate our >80% char yield and accelerated densification metrics.
• Secure Defense Infrastructure: Designed to support Tier 1 aerospace primes and government energy contracts, our operations at MARS ensure the highest level of IP protection. We maintain the rigorous regulatory firewalls (including ITAR and EAR compliance pathways) required to safely execute sensitive defense, hypersonic, and advanced nuclear manufacturing projects.
A Collaborative Approach
We work closely with engineers, researchers, and organizations to understand their challenges and develop materials tailored to their needs.
From initial concept to final application, our team is committed to delivering solutions that perform.
Let’s Build Something Together
Whether you’re exploring new material applications or looking for a partner to support your next project, we’re here to help.