Frank Palmieri III, PhD
- fpalmieri@technoirva.com
- Aug 23, 2024
- 3 min read
Updated: Apr 16
SUBJECT MATTER EXPERTISE
Polymer Science
Thermomechanical Analysis
Thermal Materials & Runaway
Composites Manufacturing
Nondestructive Evaluation
Surface Engineering & Preparation
Structural Bonding
Adhesives
Battery Enclosures
Material Qualification
Laser Machining
LANGUAGE FLUENCY
English (first language)
German (fluent)
Spanish (intermediate)
CURRICULUM VITAE
Dr. Palmieri is an expert in high-performance materials for lightweight applications in harsh conditions and environments. He holds BS and PhD degrees in chemical engineering from Virginia Commonwealth University and The University of Texas at Austin, respectively. He studied polymers and semiconductor microlithography technology before transitioning to the aerospace sector.
Dr. Palmieri worked at NASA Langely Research Center for 12 years, where he developed technologies for structural bonding and reliable assembly of aircraft surfaces. Recently he worked at Lilium eAircraft GmbH near Munich, where he developed a lightweight composite battery enclosure meeting thermal runaway and electrical safety requirements.
He is the author of over 100 articles, book chapters and conference proceedings, has been awarded 14 US patents and has multiple European patent applications in process.
EDUCATION
Virginia Commonwealth University, BS in Chemical Engineering – 2002
The University of Texas at Austin, PhD in Chemical Engineering – 2008
AWARDS
Convergent Aeronautics Solutions Project Awarded, three years/$6M for AERoBOND –2019
Excellence in Engineering Award – 2018
Innovation of the Year Honorable Mention – 2018
Engineering Directorate Award, 1st place – 2014
University of Texas Thrust Fellowship: $8,000/year – 2002 to 2007
Virginia Commonwealth University Dean’s Scholarship (full tuition paid) – 1999 to 2002
BIOGRAPHY
Frank Palmieri is a US citizen who grew up in Virginia Beach, VA. He received a Doctor of Philosophy degree from The University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU), both in Chemical Engineering. He spent his summers as a research intern at NASA Langely Research Center (three occurrences) and Motorola Labs in Pheonix, AZ. He excelled at chemistry and physics and graduated summa cum laude from VCU. His graduate thesis was on materials for nanoimprint lithography with the objective developing imprintable dielectrics for manufacture of CMOS integrated circuits. In 2009, he spent a year working in Germany fabricating micro-optical devices with Photonik Zentrum Hessen in Wetzlar AG.
Upon returning to the US, Dr. Palmieri started working at the National Institutes of Aerospace as a research contractor to NASA’s Langley Research Center in Hampton, Virginia. He transitioned after two years to a NASA civil servant position in the Advanced Materials and Processing Branch. His work at NASA spanned composites and manufacturing technologies for assembly of aerospace structures, reliable technologies for surface preparation and bonding, composites process modeling, thermal analysis and novel epoxy resin formulation.
He gained experience in thermosets and thermoplastics for composite structures. During this time, Dr. Palmieri was active in publishing and reviewing peer reviewed journal articles, writing proposals with a high rate of success, inventing and patenting technologies, and presenting his research at international conferences such as SAMPE and ACS. His Google Scholar page provides an overview of his publications and patents. Before leaving NASA, he led a team of engineers and technicians to develop AERoBOND technology for reliable bonded assembly of composites, which was adopted and tested in the NASA Hi-CAM Project.
In September 2022, Dr. Palmieri joined Lilium eAircraft as a Materials and Process Engineer. He started as a Senior Engineer and was very quickly promoted to Principal and then Expert Engineer because of his performance and critical contributions to the development of the Lilium Battery enclosure. He was the focal point for all battery enclosure materials selection, specifications and manufacturing processes for nearly two years. He proposed, tested and implemented fire proofing, thermal insulation, electrical insulation, electromagnetic shielding and other materials to meeting stringent EASA safety regulations while also meeting design requirements. He guided the manufacturing process development and design for manufacturing activities to integrate complex design solutions into a manufacturable product.
Dr. Palmieri continues to reside in greater Munich area and is interested in supporting a broad range of development, qualification and certification activities where his expertise in polymers and processing is leveraged.
