Dylan Jacob Kline profile

Dylan Jacob Kline

Group Leader, Aging, Compatibility, and Manufacturing of Explosives

PLS / Msd / Materials Science Division

Email

Biography

Dr. Dylan Kline is the Group Leader of the Aging, Compatibility, and Manufacturing of Explosives group and Deputy Group Leader of the Rapid Prototyping of Energetics subgroup in the Energetic Materials Center at the Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL). As part of his role at LLNL, Dylan conducts research on additive manufacturing (AM) of energetic materials and leads diagnostics development for in situ characterization of AM components. Dylan is also interested in the development of computational tools for material characterization, image processing, and digital twins. From 2021-2023, Dylan served as a High Explosives Principal Investigator for Project DarkStar and led the project's academic collaboration. Dylan currently supports multiple LDRD projects, Physical and Life Sciences, Strategic Deterrence, Global Security, and more.

Prior to joining LLNL, Dylan earned his B.S. and Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering from the University of Arizona and University of Maryland, respectively. Dylan also worked at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (2016-2020) where he served as an engineer on large spaceflight projects (James Webb Space Telescope, Roman Space Telescope) and assisted in database development. Outside of work, Dylan enjoys playing games with friends, watching movies, and producing music.

Google Scholar | ResearchGate | LinkedIn

Education

  • Postdoctoral Research, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Livermore, California, 2021-2022
  • Ph.D., Chemical Engineering, University of Maryland College Park, College Park, Maryland, 2020
  • B.S., Chemical Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona, 2016

Publications

2025 1 publication

  • D.J. Kline, M.J. Sevcik, M.F.L. Villena, A. Escobar, D.K. Newton, A.A. Dobbs, I.A. Gamez, F. Zaka, A.S. Goff, E. Penczek, B.K. Brettmann, H.P. Martinez, V. Eliasson, K.T. Sullivan, Extrusion-spheronization of mock energetic materials, Propellants Explos. Pyrotech. (2025) e70008. doi:10.1002/prep.70008.

2024 2 publications

  • D.M. Sterbentz*, D.J. Kline*, D.A. White, C.F. Jekel, M.P. Hennessey, D.K. Amondson, A.J. Wilson, M.J. Sevcik, M.F.L. Villena, S.S. Lin, M.D. Grapes, K.T. Sullivan, J.L. Belof, Explosively driven Richtmyer–Meshkov instability jet suppression and enhancement via coupling machine learning and additive manufacturing, J. Appl. Phys. 136 (2024) 35102. doi:10.1063/5.0213123.
  • D.J. Kline*, M.P. Hennessey*, D.K. Amondson, S. Lin, M.D. Grapes, M. Ferrucci, P. Li, H.K. Springer, R.V. Reeves, K.T. Sullivan, J.L. Belof, Reducing Richtmyer–Meshkov instability jet velocity via inverse design, J. Appl. Phys. 135 (2024) 74902. doi:10.1063/5.0180712.

2022 2 publications

  • D.J. Kline, M.D. Grapes, E.A. Avalos, C.M. Landeros, H.P. Martinez, R.V. Reeves, K.T. Sullivan, Z.D. Doorenbos, Probing the role of solids loading and mix procedure on the properties of acoustically mixed materials for additive manufacturing, Powder Technol. 411 (2022) 117947. doi:10.1016/j.powtec.2022.117947.
  • D.J. Kline, M.D. Grapes, R. Chavez Morales, G.C. Egan, J.D. Sain, Z.D. Doorenbos, H.E. Fletcher, E.A. Avalos, B.M. English, V. Eliasson, K.T. Sullivan, J.L. Belof, In situ laser profilometry for material segmentation and digital reconstruction of a multicomponent additively manufactured part, Addit. Manuf. 56 (2022) 102896. doi:10.1016/j.addma.2022.102896.

2021 2 publications

  • D.J. Kline, M.C. Rehwoldt, J.B. DeLisio, S.C. Barron, H. Wang, Z. Alibay, J.C. Rodriguez, G.M. Fritz, M.R. Zachariah, In-operando thermophysical properties and kinetics measurements of Al-Zr-C composites, Combust. Flame. 228 (2021) 250–258. doi:10.1016/j.combustflame.2020.12.045.
  • M.C. Rehwoldt*, D.J. Kline*, M.R. Zachariah, Numerically evaluating energetic composite flame propagation with thermally conductive, high aspect ratio fillers, Chem. Eng. Sci. 229 (2021) 116087. doi:10.1016/j.ces.2020.116087. Featured cover article.

2020 2 publications

  • D.J. Kline*, Z. Alibay*, M.C. Rehwoldt, A. Idrogo-Lam, S.G. Hamilton, P. Biswas, F. Xu, M.R. Zachariah, Experimental observation of the heat transfer mechanisms that drive propagation in additively manufactured energetic materials, Combust. Flame. 215 (2020) 417–424. doi:10.1016/j.combustflame.2020.01.020.
  • D.J. Kline*, M.C. Rehwoldt*, C.J. Turner, P. Biswas, G.W. Mulholland, S.M. McDonnell, M.R. Zachariah, Spatially focused microwave ignition of metallized energetic materials, J. Appl. Phys. 127 (2020) 55901. doi:10.1063/1.5134089.

2019 2 publications

  • D.J. Kline, M.C. Rehwoldt, H. Wang, N.E. Eckman, M.R. Zachariah, Why does adding a poor thermal conductor increase propagation rate in solid propellants?, Appl. Phys. Lett. 115 (2019) 114101. doi:10.1063/1.5113612.
  • H. Wang*, D.J. Kline*, M.R. Zachariah, In-operando high-speed microscopy and thermometry of reaction propagation and sintering in a nanocomposite, Nat. Commun. 10 (2019) 3032. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-10843-4.

2018 1 publication

  • R.J. Jacob*, D.J. Kline*, M.R. Zachariah, High speed 2-dimensional temperature measurements of nanothermite composites: Probing thermal vs. Gas generation effects, J. Appl. Phys. 123 (2018) 115902. doi:10.1063/1.5021890.

Awards

  • Innovation and Achievement Award, Energetic Materials Center - LLNL (Feb. 2025)

  • Strategic Deterrence Gold Award - LLNL (Jul. 2024)

  • Strategic Deterrence Gold Award - LLNL (Jul. 2024)

  • SPOT Award, Physical & Life Sciences - LLNL (Aug. 2023)

  • Weapons Physics & Design Silver Award - LLNL (Aug. 2023)

  • SPOT Award, Physical & Life Sciences - LLNL (Mar. 2023)

  • Ann G. Wylie Dissertation Fellowship - UMD Graduate School (Aug. 2020)

  • Sengers PhD Candidacy Award - UMD Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering (Aug. 2019)

  • NASA Special Act Award (Individual) - NASA (Oct. 2018)

  • Outstanding Teaching Service Award - UMD Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering (Oct. 2018)

  • NASA Agency Honors Award, Group Achievement (Contamination & Coatings Team) - NASA (Aug. 2017)

  • Jan & Anneke Sengers Fellowship - UMD (Jun. 2016)

  • Chemical Engineering Senior Design Award - UArizona Chemical & Environmental Engineering (May 2016)

  • Dr. William Scott Bousman Memorial Award - UArizona Chemical & Environmental Engineering (May 2016)

  • W.L. Gore & Associates Undergraduate Engineering Scholarship 2015 – Gore (Aug. 2014)