Dr. Caitlyn Clarkson is an staff scientist in the Manufacturing Science Division at ORNL’s Manufacturing Demonstration Facility where she develops polymer and polymer composites for advanced manufacturing processes. Previously, she was a National Research Council (NRC) fellow at the Air Force Research Laboratory in Dayton, Ohio, and is a graduate of Purdue University in Materials Science & Engineering.
Her research at ORNL comprises the development of sustainable material feedstocks and the integration of these materials into advanced manufacturing processes. Her research in bio-based materials is in the development of natural fiber-reinforced composites and hybrid composites, as well as the formulation of bio-based composite feedstock for the material extrusion process known as large-format additive manufacturing (LFAM). Dr. Clarkson’s research is also working on the process development for the recovery of high-volume waste streams: post-consumer recycling (PCR) and automotive shredder residue (ASR). Her work supports the creation of composite feedstocks for applications in LFAM, automotive, and more. Her expertise is in polymeric material development and characterization techniques.
Her research interests include: self-assembly of small molecules and block copolymers; nanomaterials; reactive extrusion; compatibilization; hybrid composites; crystallization and crystallization kinetics in thermoplastic polymers; use of recycled and bio-based materials and novel supply chain development; material extrusion processes like LFAM or direct ink writing (DIW).
