Dr Di He

Dr Di He

Research Associate

PhD (ANU), B.E (Hon) (ANU)

UNSW Canberra
School of Eng & Tech

I obtained my PhD degree at the Australian National University where I investigated novel recycling strategies to improve the reuse potential and environmental performance of recycled carbon fibre in the automotive industry. During my PhD, I worked at the Research and Innovation Centre of Ford Motor Company in the U.S. to develop and evaluate the use of recycled materials in vehicle production. As a Research Associate at UNSW Canberra, I am now researching the dynamic impacts of technological transitions such as electrification, lightweighting and shared mobility on the auto material flows and the sustainability aspects of the vehicle fleet. I am broadly passionate about research that enhances sustainability and circular economy in the rapidly transforming manufacturing sector.

  • Journal articles | 2024
    He D; Keith DR; Kim HC; De Kleine R; Anderson J; Doolan M, 2024, 'Materials Challenges in the Electric Vehicle Transition', Environmental Science and Technology, 58, pp. 12297 - 12303, http://dx.doi.org/10.1021/acs.est.3c09042
    Journal articles | 2024
    Li X; He D; White RG; Delhaize E; Ryan PR; Ingvordsen CH; Scafaro AP; Atkin OK; Wasson A; Richards R, 2024, 'Reduced tillering and dwarfing genes alter root traits and rhizo-economics in wheat', Physiologia Plantarum, 176, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/ppl.14336
    Journal articles | 2023
    He D; Kim HC; Sommacal S; Stojcevski F; Soo VK; Lipiński W; Morozov E; Henderson LC; Compston P; Doolan M, 2023, 'Improving mechanical and life cycle environmental performances of recycled CFRP automotive component by fibre architecture preservation', Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 175, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2023.107749
    Journal articles | 2022
    He D; Kim HC; De Kleine R; Soo VK; Kiziltas A; Compston P; Doolan M, 2022, 'Life cycle energy and greenhouse gas emissions implications of polyamide 12 recycling from selective laser sintering for an injection-molded automotive component', Journal of Industrial Ecology, 26, pp. 1378 - 1388, http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/jiec.13277
    Journal articles | 2020
    He D; Soo VK; Kim HC; Compston P; Doolan M, 2020, 'Comparative life cycle energy analysis of carbon fibre pre-processing, processing and post-processing recycling methods', Resources, Conservation and Recycling, 158, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.resconrec.2020.104794
    Journal articles | 2020
    He D; Soo VK; Stojcevski F; Lipiński W; Henderson LC; Compston P; Doolan M, 2020, 'The effect of sizing and surface oxidation on the surface properties and tensile behaviour of recycled carbon fibre: An end-of-life perspective', Composites Part A: Applied Science and Manufacturing, 138, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.compositesa.2020.106072
    Journal articles | 2017
    Tang W; He D; Zhang C; Waite TD, 2017, 'Optimization of sulfate removal from brackish water by membrane capacitive deionization (MCDI)', Water Research, 121, pp. 302 - 310, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.watres.2017.05.046
  • Conference Papers | 2022
    He D; Compston P; Morozov E; Doolan M, 2022, 'Reducing down-cycling of carbon fibre by fibre architecture preservation: Multi-layer fibre surface quality investigation', in Procedia CIRP, pp. 637 - 641, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2022.02.106
    Conference Papers | 2021
    He D; Soo VK; Kim HC; Doolan M, 2021, 'Life Cycle Primary Energy Demand and Greenhouse Gas Emission benefits of vehicle lightweighting with recycled carbon fibre', in Procedia CIRP, Elsevier, pp. 43 - 48, http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.procir.2021.01.003
    Conference Papers | 2019
    He D; Soo VK; Stojcevski F; Compston P; Doolan M, 2019, 'The effect of fibre surface treatments during CFRP production on the tensile strength of recycled carbon fibres', in ICCM International Conferences on Composite Materials

  • 2021: Recipient of the LEO Award for the Best Paper at the 28th CIRP Conference on Life Cycle Engineering

In the Media:

  • He, D (2020, August 18). Deakin University researchers create recycled carbon fibre surfboard start-up as solution to landfill problem. ABC NEWS. Retrieved from https://www.abc.net.au/news/2020-08-16/recycled-surfboards-a-solution-to-carbon-fibre-waste-landfill/12545020
  • He, D (2021, August 23). Riding and recycling | Carbon fibre and the environment. Flow Mountain Bike. Retrived from https://flowmountainbike.com/features/riding-recycling-carbon-fibre-environment/
  • He, D (2019, October 21). What’s all the racquet about recycling carbon fibre? Australian National University. Retrived from https://cecc.anu.edu.au/news/whats-all-racquet-about-recycling-carbon-fibre