About Me
Science and engineering have shaped my interests from an early age, particularly aerospace engineering. During my studies, I developed a strong interest in materials science and manufacturing, focusing on how processing conditions influence microstructure, properties, and component performance. Today, my research at the University of Castilla-La Mancha (UCLM), within the Institute of Applied Research in Aeronautical Industry (INAIA), combines aerospace engineering, materials science, and advanced manufacturing, with a strong experimental focus spanning process development, materials characterization, and data analysis.
My experience includes metallic, ceramic, and composite materials, with a primary focus on high-performance metals and energy-efficient technologies such as Concentrated Solar Energy (CSE) and induction heating. My research covers powder-based manufacturing, additive manufacturing, sintering, and reactive synthesis, aiming to translate materials science into efficient manufacturing solutions for demanding engineering applications.
Thinking Additively
Additive Manufacturing has fascinated me since I first discovered its potential to democratize manufacturing, allowing anyone to turn a digital design into a physical component. With one of my first salaries, I bought an early desktop 3D printer and, after countless hours of learning and troubleshooting, started designing, manufacturing, and selling customized phone cases through my own website, RosmarinoCovers.
Years later, during my PhD, I returned to the same technology with a new purpose: manufacturing high-performance metallic components for demanding applications such as aerospace. Through MEX-based processing combined with electrical or solar debinding and sintering, I now apply the same principles once used for polymer parts to produce dense metals with complex geometries.
This evolution, from a desktop printer at home to advanced metallic materials for aerospace applications, continues to drive my interest in Additive Manufacturing and its potential to reshape how high-performance components are designed and produced.
Powered by the Sun
My journey with Concentrated Solar Energy (CSE) began during my Master's in Materials Science and Engineering, where I explored its use for thermal energy storage by developing glass-ceramic coatings for molten-salt systems. Later, CSE unexpectedly became central to my PhD, this time not for storing energy, but as a high-power thermal source for advanced materials processing.
Working alongside researchers who pioneered solar materials processing in Spain transformed that first contact into a genuine passion for the technology. Its ability to deliver extremely high energy densities makes it possible to process even high-melting-point materials cleanly and within minutes, opening exciting opportunities for energy-efficient manufacturing.
What started as a research tool has since become one of the central themes of my work, and a subject I continue to explore beyond the laboratory. I am currently writing a book on the history of Concentrated Solar Energy, uncovering a remarkable scientific journey spanning early solar experiments, landmark materials discoveries, and some surprisingly ambitious ideas about what concentrated sunlight could achieve.
"Solar energy brings many joys."
A saying that has followed our research group for years.
Sharing Science
My interest in science communication began early, inspired by how Stephen and Lucy Hawking could make complex scientific concepts accessible and engaging for younger audiences. It taught me that complex science can be communicated clearly without losing its value or ability to inspire.
During my PhD, science communication became an active part of my work through Materland and Mujeres Ingeniosas, national outreach projects supported by the Spanish Foundation for Science and Technology (FECYT). Through interactive experiments, workshops, exhibitions, and laboratory visits, we bring materials science and engineering closer to diverse audiences while encouraging STEM careers, particularly among girls and women.
I also contribute to Materdivulga, the national materials science communication conference organized by the Spanish Materials Society (SOCIEMAT), reinforcing a skill I consider essential in both research and industry: translating complex technical concepts into clear and engaging communication.
"We are just an advanced breed of monkeys on a minor planet of a very average star. But we can understand the Universe."
Stephen Hawking
Recognition Along the Way
Throughout my academic and research career, several of my projects have received external recognition. At the end of my Aerospace Engineering degree, Airbus awarded my Bachelor's Thesis as the Best Aerospace Engineering Final Project for “Processing and Characterization of Lightweight Sandwich Structures.”
During my PhD, I received the Best Corrosion Awareness Photograph Award at the ALESCORR competition organized by SOCIEMAT. More recently, at CNMAT 2026, I received the Young Research Award, Best Oral Contribution in the Processing Technologies, Sintering and Microstructural Control Symposium for “Synthesis of Ti–Al Functionally Graded Materials by Reactive Solar Sintering,” as well as the Best Scientific Poster Award for “Reactive Sintering of TiAl Intermetallics.”
These recognitions span aerospace structures, advanced materials processing, and science communication, reflecting the multidisciplinary nature of my work.