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The University of Southampton
Engineering

Professor Marco J Starink PhD

Emeritus Professor

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Professor Marco J Starink is Professor of Materials Engineering within Engineering and Physical Sciences at the University of Southampton.

Marco Starink is involved in various mostly industry co-funded projects on processing-microstructure-property relations of a range of materials. He has published over 200 papers on his work including the theory of phase transformations, materials nanostructure, dislocation theory, strength models, calorimetry, superalloys, Al-based alloys, severe plastic deformation and composites (for more information visit Professor Starink's Mendeley page); and is in the ISI-ESI database of the world's most cited researchers.

His work on kinetics of phase transformation during heating is recognized as amongst most influential work in the field this century. The work (visit the abstract on eprints) allows the effective determination of the activation energy of reactions in materials at an accuracy that is better than other methods with similar computing effort. The work has seen application in work ranging from stability of drugs to hardening reactions in metallic alloys and from thermal stability of composites to explosives.

Work (visit the abstract on eprints) on the strengthening of metallic alloys by clusters of atoms that are between 2 atoms (about 0.3 nanometer apart) to only a few nanometers in size has allowed modelling and prediction of the strengthening of a range of widely used alloys.

Materials microstructures and microfeatures
Professor Starink's research

Marco graduated in Physics at the University of Utrecht, The Netherlands in 1987; and obtained a PhD in Materials Science from Delft University of Technology in 1992. Marco joined the University of Southampton in 1998. External appointments include Editor of Materials Science and Engineering A and membership of the editorial board of Thermochimica Acta, membership of the EPSRC's Structural Materials Peer Review College and specialist assessor for EU Framework programmes.

Research interests

  • materials structure on the nanoscale and its evolution
  • microstructure-property modelling of materials
  • microstructural analysis
  • thermal treatment/exposure and thermal analysis
  • thermomechanical treatment and SPD
  • coatings
  • strength and fracture of metallic alloys

Research group

Engineering Materials

Affiliate research group

Energy Technology

Research project(s)

Strengthening of alloys by nanosized clusters

One of the main discoveries in metals research in the last 20 years involves the strengthening due to nanosized clusters. In many metal alloys with two or more alloying elements strengthening is predominantly caused by so-called co-clusters. Research in Southampton on these co-clusters through a series of projects has been led by Professor Marco J Starink.

High strength aluminium alloys for aerospace applications

Modelling and analysis of solid state reaction kinetics

At Southampton, Professor Marco J Starink has developed a range of analysis methods for thermally activated reactions. They include a widely used method for activation energy determination and models for diffusion controlled-reactions.

Strengthening of alloys by refining grains to the nanometer scale

Processing of metallic alloys through severe plastic deformation (SPD) creates materials with ultra-high formability, high strength and high toughness.  This research provides models that predict structural refinement and defect densities, resulting in predictions of the mechanical properties.

Processing of nanostructured materials for medical applications

Rare earth effect on tribological bronze coatings

Assessment of advanced nickel based turbine materials

The purpose of this project is to establish a broad based understanding of the microstructural factors controlling the high temperature properties (including creep and fatigue life) of turbine blade and disc alloys of interest to QinetiQ.

Teardrop cracking: mechanism and design criteria

Structure-Performance relationship in organic electronic devices - Dormant

Predictive modelling of quench sensitivity of Al alloys

Manufacturing of graphene based aluminium metal matrix composites by high pressure torsion

Module titleModule codeDisciplineRole
Microstructural Characterisation SESG6021 Engineering Sciences Course leader
Microstructural and Surface Characterisation SESG6044 Engineering Sciences Instructor
Professor Marco J Starink
Engineering, University of Southampton, Highfield, Southampton. SO17 1BJ United Kingdom

Room Number : 7/4047


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