Horst Complex

prof.dr.ir. M.B. de Rooij (Matthijn)

Full Professor
ET-MS3-STT
Horst Complex N106
m.b.derooij@utwente.nl
+31534891178
Business card

The research in the Surface Technology and Tribology (STT) group focuses around surfaces and interfaces in an engineering context as well as degradation mechanisms taking place at these surfaces and interfaces. Surfaces and interfaces are typically complex, and in many cases critical in terms of lifetime and degradation. A solid understanding, as well as accurate and validated models of degradation phenomena at these surfaces and interfaces is important to develop efficient maintenance strategies. 

Moving interfaces are very prominent in (mechanical) engineering. Phenomena taking place at these interfaces belong to the field of tribology. Typical tribological phenomena are friction and the different wear mechanisms. In the case a lubricant is present, lubrication can be used to separate surfaces and avoid or reduce contact. The development of experimentally validated models of tribological phenomena at interfaces is one of the focus areas. Fundamental to these phenomena is the contact between surfaces, which is the field of contact mechanics.

The second main type of interfaces are stationary interfaces, as are present in, for example, hybrid materials like metal - polymer combinations. In this context,  bonding and adhesion are important and subject of research. Surfaces can be engineered to optimize bonding and hybrid materials can developed based on knowledge about the interfaces present in these materials.

Also, transitions from a stationary situation to a sliding situation are common in mechanical contacts. Examples are highly accurate positioning mechanisms, as well as on a totally different length scale, earthquakes. Transitions from stick to slip and vice versa are also subject of study in the research group, both in positioning mechanisms as well as in faults in the subsurface of the earth.

Apart from chairing the Surface Technology and Tribology group, I am also the Programme Leader of the EngD Maintenance programme and the director of the SKF University Technical Center (UTC) for grease lubrication.

Expertise

  • Material Science

    • Friction
    • Surface
    • Coating
    • Temperature

  • Engineering

    • Models
    • Surfaces
    • Sheet Metal

  • Physics

    • Model

Organisations

Publications

2025

Shark-inspired riblet design and optimization for drag reduction in drinking water distribution pipes across varying flow rates (2025)Water research X, 29. Article 100412. Mohammadpour Chehrghani, M., Seyyed Monfared Zanjani, J., Yntema, D., Matthews, D. & de Rooij, M.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wroa.2025.100412Hardness-dependent surface roughness threshold governing rolling contact fatigue crack initiation (2025)International journal of mechanical sciences, 309. Article 111020 (E-pub ahead of print/First online). Gargourimotlagh, M., Hazrati, J., Ji , W. & de Rooij, M. B.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijmecsci.2025.111020Ultrasonic Atomization Spray Coating of PCL on an Mg-Based Alloy Enhanced by Plasma Electrolytic Oxidation for Improved Adhesion, Corrosion Resistance, and Biocompatibility (2025)Advanced engineering materials, 27(21). Article e202501354. Mousavizadeh, S. M., Adelinia, A., Crowley, F. D., Seyyed Monfared Zanjani, J., Mulvihill, J. J. E., Yu, M., Rezvani, E., de Rooij, M., Gilchrist, M. D. & Zhang, N.https://doi.org/10.1002/adem.202501354A Modeling Framework for Rolling Contact Fatigue Analysis in Rough Rolling Elements (2025)[Thesis › PhD Thesis - Research UT, graduation UT]. University of Twente. Gargourimotlagh, M.https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036568845Hierarchical Riblet Structures for Enhanced Drag Reduction and Broader Operational Range in Water Pipelines (2025)ACS ES&T Water, 5(10), 6030-6040. Mohammadpour Chehrghani, M., Seyyed Monfared Zanjani, J., Yntema, D., Matthews, D. & de Rooij, M.https://doi.org/10.1021/acsestwater.5c00703Shark skin-inspired surface designs for drag reduction in drinking water distribution pipes (2025)Water research, 284. Article 123965. Mohammadpour Chehrghani, M., Yntema, D., Matthews, D., de Rooij, M. & Seyyed Monfared Zanjani, J.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2025.123965An investigation into the evolution of surface topography and contact characteristics of rolling elements under repeated rolling contact (2025)Tribology international, 208. Article 110644. Gargourimotlagh, M., Matthews, D. T. A. & de Rooij, M. B.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.triboint.2025.110644Modeling Oil-Separation Properties of Lubricating Greases (2025)Tribology transactions, 68(4), 872-882. Hogenberk, F., van den Ende, D., de Rooij, M. B. & Lugt, P. M.https://doi.org/10.1080/10402004.2025.2516840Modelling Friction in Cold Rolling (2025)[Thesis › PhD Thesis - Research external, graduation UT]. University of Twente. Jacobs, L. J. M.https://doi.org/10.3990/1.9789036566117Insights in the interaction between roughness reduction and fatigue crack growth in rolling contacts (2025)Engineering failure analysis, 174. Article 109493. Gargourimotlagh, M., Matthews, D. T. A., Schneider, S. & de Rooij, M. B.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.engfailanal.2025.109493

Research profiles

Affiliated study programs

Courses academic year 2025/2026

Courses in the current academic year are added at the moment they are finalised in the Osiris system. Therefore it is possible that the list is not yet complete for the whole academic year.

Courses academic year 2024/2025

Address

University of Twente

Horst Complex (building no. 20), room N106
De Horst 2
7522 LW Enschede
Netherlands

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