About

I am a Ph.D. candidate within the College of Science and Engineering and an Aerospace Engineer specialised in lattice structures, composite materials and aerodynamics.

In 2020 I obtained my Bachelor's Degree in Aerospace Engineering at the University of Enna "Kore", Italy, with a thesis titled: "Numerical analyses of sandwich panels made up with lattice core". The work focused on 3D-printed lattice structures, characterising the mechanical behaviour by employing the Finite Element Method (FEM), focusing on the static and modal behaviour. I obtained my Master's Degree in Aerospace Engineering in 2023 at the Polytechnic of Turin, Italy, specialising in aerodynamics with a thesis titled: "RANS simulations with wall functions: evaluation of the predictive capability in separated flows". The thesis focused on the computational impact of the application of wall functions in boundary layer problems and separated flows, using the Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) equations in Computational Fluid Dynamics.

In 2023 I chose to follow the natural development of my career, beginning a Ph.D. journey at University of Derby in January 2024. My current research focuses on designing, manufacturing and characterising eco-friendly and nano-reinforced composites, with the use of natural fibres and recyclable resins, allowing self-healing and self-sensing capabilities.

Title of thesis 

Eco-friendly, recyclable and nano-reinforced natural fibre thermoplastic composite for railway applications.

Supervisors 

• Dr. Marzena Pawlik
• Dr. Yiling Lu

Teaching responsibilities

Graduate Teaching Assistant

• Advanced Mechanical Design and Materials 6ME503
• Engineering Composite Materials 6EN510
• Computational Mechanics and Failure Analysis 6EN508
• Mechanical Engineering Principles 4EN505

Research interests

In the context of my Ph.D. project, I am contributing in replacing existing synthetic composite materials with eco-friendly and recyclable alternatives. The aim of my research is to provide these sustainable alternatives with structural health monitoring capabilites using carbon-based nanoparticles. Moreover, self-healing capabilities are also taken into account given the thermoplastic nature of the resin. In doing so, I'm employing engineering cross-disciplinary knowledge varying from experimental, analytical and computational fields. Several steps mark my research, such as:

• Studying of the curing kinetics of the nano-reinforced resin
• Developing an efficient curing cycle
• Characterising the final composite material with coupled numerical and experimental approaches
• Designing a full or reduced scale component to prove the feasibility
• Cost-wise evaluation pre and post life-cycle
• Assessing the environmental impact of the composite material/component.

Membership of professional bodies

• Institute of Materials, Minerals and Mining (IoM3)
• The Institution of Structural Engineers (IStructE)

Qualifications

Undergraduate Qualifications

• BSc (Hons) in Aerospace Engineering - 2020 - University of Enna "Kore", Italy

Postgraduate Qualifications

• MSc in Aerospace Engineering - 2023 - Polythecnic of Turin, Italy
  • Specialisation in Aerodynamics

• Ph.D. in Advanced Materials - ongoing - University of Derby, UK

Recent conferences

• M. Pawlik, F. Marino, Y. Lu "Prediction of nano-reinforced coating properties in carbon fibre reinforced polymer via inverse analysis and optimisation", COUPLED Problems 2025, Villasimius, Italy - 2025
• M. Pawlik, F. Marino, S. Valvano "Graphene nanoplatelets self-sensing adhesive for fibre reinforced plastics composite", COUPLED Problems 2025, Villasimius, Italy - 2025
• F. Marino, M. Pawlik, Y. Lu "Functionalised graphene-reinforced Elium composites for sustainable applications in transportation", UK Rail Research and Innovation Network (UKRRIN), Sheffield, UK - 2025
• F. Marino, My Research My Reach 2024 online presentation, Derby, UK - 2024

Additional interests and activities

Although my main research field is on composite materials, I still actively work on other fields within my expertise, such as:

• Mechanical characterisation of lattice structures
• Testing of metallic materials
• RVE modelling

Recent publications

• Marino, F., Pawlik, M., & Valvano, S. (2024). Mechanical Analysis of Sandwich Plates with Lattice Metal Composite Cores. Spectrum of Mechanical Engineering and Operational Research, 1(1), 44-63
• Alaimo, A., Marino, F., & Valvano, S. (2021). BCC lattice cell structural characterization. Reports in Mechanical Engineering, 2(1), 77-85