Inside Clemson

Cliff Fain, Professor Emeritus of Ceramic Engineering – November 29, 2020

Cliff Fain, 89, Professor Emeritus of Ceramic Engineering, on November 29, 2020. Fain spent 45 years as a professor of engineering at Clemson, where he broke ground on several cutting-edge topics and secured multiple patents throughout his career.

A graduate of Spartanburg High School, Fain attended Clemson, where he received a Bachelor of Science and Master of Science in ceramic engineering in 1954 and 1957, respectively. He later received his Ph.D. in ceramic engineering from Ohio State University.

In the most recent years, he concentrated on the heat stabilization, carbonization and graphitization of carbon fibers and the development of high thermal conductivity pitch-based carbon fibers using hollow carbon fibers as high temperature micromolds. Some of his findings are used today.

He consulted with Milliken Research Corp. for more than 20 years, was a former chairman of South Eastern Section of American Ceramic Society; session chairman a number of years for NASA/DOD meetings at Cocoa Beach; vice chairman, treasurer and a member of the American Ceramic Society; a member of the National Institute of Ceramic Engineers, the Ceramic Educational Council, the Whiteware Division of ACS, the American Carbon Society, Keramos and Sigma Xi.

Fain is survived by Lou, his “bride of 66 years”; daughter, Tish; and granddaughter, Sutton of Oregon.

A memorial service and celebration of life is being postponed temporarily due to COVID-19 but will be scheduled at a later date to be announced by Duckett-Robinson Funeral Home.

Read his full obituary online.